Follow If You Lead
by MaybeWeAre
Summary: Season 3 finale SQ AU. At Midas' ball, the blonde in the red dress catches Regina's eye. And with no way home in sight, Emma decides that it can't hurt to see what the Queen has to offer. Meanwhile, Storybrooke is reeling from Emma's disappearance - especially Regina. There will be a little bit of Outlaw Queen, but it's all about the Swan Queen.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Emma and Hook have gone back in time, but Rumple doesn't believe that there's any way they can return home. They appear to be permanently trapped in the past, so they've accepted the fact that they're going to have to change some things to survive. Emma has not screwed up her parents' story in any way.

Enjoy!

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

"Stop the car." Ruby was out the door almost before Regina could comply. Regina quickly put the car in park and got out after her.

"Be careful," she warned as Ruby approached Zelena's barn. "The portal could still be open." But Regina had been able to feel the magic crackling in the air when she'd been there only a few days before, and today there was nothing. Emma and Hook must have closed it somehow.

The light from the barn was gone, too, and the two women stepped gingerly inside, looking around. "The trail ends here," Ruby said after one final sniff.

Regina conjured a ball of fire, throwing light into the dark corners. But Emma and Hook weren't in any of them. "Emma?"

Nothing. They left the barn to see if maybe the missing pair was somewhere else on the farm, but Regina stopped short when she stepped on something hard. It was a phone, she realized when she bent to inspect it. A phone she recognized. And a touch of a button filled the screen with Emma and Henry's smiling faces.

"I'm not getting anything," Ruby called from the porch. "And there's no way Hook hid his trail. He's pretty pungent."

Regina stood up again, looking around for any other evidence. That's when she noticed the drag marks in the dirt, starting near the phone and stretching towards the circular ridges carved into the barn floor. There was another set, too, but Regina didn't particularly care what happened to Hook.

"They're gone," she said softly, clutching Emma's phone.

The ride back to town was silent and uncomfortable. Walking back into Granny's was worse. Ruby went straight to Snow and Charming, and Regina turned towards Henry, who looked up at her with a smile.

She didn't know how she was supposed to tell him. He'd just lost a father, even though Regina was loath to give Neal that title. But Emma, especially after this past year, was his mother.

He read her face easily enough. "You didn't find them?"

Regina held out the phone. "We found where they were last, Henry. They went into Zelena's portal."

She watched helplessly as her son crumbled in front of her, grateful that he reached out to embrace her. Glad that she could hide her own tears as she tried in vain to comfort Henry.

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

As usual, Regina was beginning to wonder why she'd come to the wedding. She'd always hated events like this when her mother or husband was forcing her to attend, but now she was supposed to be free.

But freedom was not something that came easily, even now that she'd destroyed everyone who was supposedly holding her back. She needed to keep balance between the kingdoms, she needed to keep fear in the hearts of even the wealthiest royals. If that meant withstanding one more spoiled princess's wedding, she supposed she was up to the challenge.

She promised herself that she wouldn't stay for long. These things were always uncomfortable. No one dared try to talk to the Evil Queen, so she stood by herself, trying to look imposing rather than impossibly bored. But it wouldn't take much time to leave an impression; in this sea of golds and pinks, her stark black gown drew everyone's gaze.

Her gown, and the red one that a particularly clumsy dancer was wearing. Clumsy, but stunning. It was impossible not to notice her.

Regina raised her glass to her lips to hide her chuckle as the girl turned the wrong way and collided with her partner. The blonde clearly had shirked her dance lessons, and while the man beside her knew all the steps, he wasn't skilled enough to guide a partner who had no clue what she was doing.

The girl, flustered, looked away from her partner. And when her eyes locked briefly with Regina's, the Queen just knew. Whoever this girl was, she _had_ to have her. It had been far too long since she'd last had a beautiful girl in her bed, and this one was the most beautiful thing Regina had ever seen.

And that was from a distance. She needed to get closer, no matter what people would say.

She handed her glass to one of the guards stationed behind her and strode towards the dance floor, guests parting in front of her. All except the girl's partner, who stood protectively in front of her.

The blonde did not look frightened. If anything, she looked amused, and the little smile she gave Regina sent a thrill through the Queen.

"May I cut in." It was decidedly not a question.

The man – certainly not a prince, not with that stubble – raised an eyebrow. And the blonde's small smile was suddenly bigger, reaching up to sparkle in her eyes. Regina could see just how green they were.

"Go ahead, _Charles_," the girl said with a laugh, but Regina didn't let go of her gaze for a second.

"I don't want to dance with him, dear." With a wave of her hand, Regina had Charles stumbling away from his partner. Regina took a good look at the girl now that there was nothing between them, admiring the way her red gown fit her to perfection. She held out a hand, waiting for the blonde to take it and accept the dance.

The girl laughed again, and Regina found it both irritating and somewhat charming. And then her slender hand took Regina's. "Is this a thing, women dancing together here?" She glanced nervously down at her feet. "Who leads?"

Regina put her hand on the girl's waist and pulled her close, perhaps closer than was strictly necessary. "You have no idea what you're doing," she said in a low voice. "And I _always_ lead." She turned her attention to the music for a second and easily picked up, guiding her new partner into place. "Tell me your name."

"Princess Leia," she said with another one of her quirky smiles. "And you're Regina."

"You will call me Your Majesty," Regina insisted, although she could imagine a few other choice words Leia could call her once they were alone.

"Aren't we past the formalities?" Leia asked. "You do have your hand on my ass."

It took all of Regina's carefully crafted control not to blush at that. She shifted her hand back up, having hardly noticed that it strayed in the first place. "Such language from a princess."

"As you can tell, I'm not exactly _that_ type of princess." Leia nodded at Princess Abigail, who was across the room looking petulant about something.

Regina grinned, and although the dance called for her to spin Leia away, she ignored the music and the other dancers and only pressed the blonde closer. Leia sucked in a sharp breath, and the Queen wished that her dress was less elaborate and heavy so that she could feel her partner pressed against her. Leia could clearly feel her through the fairly thin material of her gown.

Regina leaned in, her lips mere inches from Leia's ear. "Thank goodness for that."

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Emma knew that she _really_ shouldn't be enjoying this as much as she was, but she couldn't help it. Hook had very pointedly reminded her that this was the Evil Queen, not Regina, but she certainly reminded Emma of the Regina she'd first met. Prickly and sarcastic and thrillingly dangerous. And while the blonde had been glad to see the woman change so much, that didn't mean that she couldn't enjoy a bit of a challenge.

And while Emma had spent a lot more time than strictly necessary looking at the pictures in Henry's books, those did not do the Queen any justice.

If nothing else, this would be a funny story to tell the real Regina. Emma couldn't even imagine how the Storybrooke incarnation would react to the idea that she'd been instantly attracted to the blonde.

Hook gave her a sharp glare over the frill of Regina's collar, and Emma's heart sank as she remembered. Rumplestiltskin couldn't help them, and unless Emma could miraculously get her magic back, there was no going home. There was no seeing the real Regina again, or her real parents. And Henry had no doppelganger here, so Emma would _really_ never see him again.

"You're distracted," that familiar, sultry voice said, and Emma brought her gaze back up to the Queen. "Do I need to do away with your prince?"

"It's not him," Emma told her, seeing the dangerous flash of jealousy in Regina's eyes. "And he's not my prince."

"He's not yours, or he's not a prince?" Regina asked with a smirk. "He might know all of the right moves, but he is certainly not royalty."

"He's not mine, either."

Regina laughed. "Then why is he looking at me like I stole his favorite toy?"

"Well, _I'm_ not _his_," Emma clarified.

The Queen leaned in closer, eyes glittering as she took in her partner. "Would you like to be mine?"

This was really, really stupid. "Yes."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thanks for all the love so far!

Forgot to mention this last time, but there is no glamour on Emma and Hook. Regina is seeing Emma's actual face.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

"Have you lost your mind?"

Emma didn't even turn to see Hook. Of course he'd been following her, of course he had something to say the moment that the blonde was alone. Regina was summoning her guards and her carriage while Emma waited by the castle gates.

"I'm fine," she snapped. She wasn't about to back down now, not after Regina had whispered in her ear for three whole dances until Emma insisted that they leave _now_. Emma was still breathless, a combination of Regina's seductive promises, the dancing, and the painfully tight corset.

She could finally be with Regina, even if just for a night. No serious repercussions, just two strangers hooking up. And Emma was much more comfortable with that than with Hook's tiresome pining.

"Maybe she can help us," she told the pirate, scrambling for an excuse. "Can we even trust Gold? I wouldn't put it past him to lie about not being able to send us home." An excuse, she realized, that was actually a really good idea.

"You can't trust her either." Hook was beside her now, but Emma just looked into the dark, waiting for Regina or her carriage. "She's dangerous, and you're going to get yourself killed. This is not _your_ Regina, Swan."

"You don't know my Regina." Emma blushed at the possessive. "She's always got a mask on. She only lets you see what she wants you to see. Everything you know about her is controlled."

Hook circled around to stand in front of her, forcing her to look at him. "So maybe she shows you something different than she shows me, but it's still controlled. You don't know any more about who she really is than I do."

Hook didn't know. He hadn't seen her in those first few days back in Storybrooke. One moment in particular, in the mayor's office, when Regina had finally let her shield come down. She'd looked at Emma as if she was seeing her for the first time, and maybe she was.

Regina had finally learned to trust her. And maybe Emma could earn the trust of this version of her. Hell, it might even be easier here, without Henry to fight over. Here and now, they had nothing to lose.

They could have all the things that they never could in Storybrooke.

"Is there a problem?" the Queen asked coolly as she approached, snapping Emma out of her thoughts.

Hook took a step forward, hand going for the hilt of his sword, but Emma grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. "You will get _yourself_ killed," she hissed. If this Regina was the Evil Queen of legend, Emma was sure that she wouldn't hesitate to destroy someone standing in the way of what she wanted.

And she wanted Emma. Regina flicked her gaze up and down the blonde's body once more. "Beautiful _and_ smart," she said appreciatively.

Emma let go of Hook at the sound of hooves and wheels. "Do not follow me," she told him, hoping her tone was firm enough to get the point across. "I can fend for myself."

The carriage came to a stop before them, and Regina reached out for Emma. The blonde smiled and took her hand, letting Regina lead her to the imposing black carriage and hand her up. Hook was still there, watching and sulking, when they drove away, and then a surprisingly gentle hand on her cheek drew Emma's attention back to Regina.

"Only a short ride," the Queen told her. "And then you'll be all mine."

Emma studied Regina's face in the near dark. Lust was something she'd never seen on the mayor, and it was thrilling to see it on those same features. "I can be all yours right now," she offered, and leaned forward to steal a kiss.

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

Regina easily brought her hand around to the back of Leia's head and grabbed the twist of her blonde hair, pulling sharply. Leia yelped, raising a hand to the place where it hurt. "What the hell?"

"Nobody is allowed to kiss me," she explained, letting go and sitting back in her seat. "Try it again and I'll do much worse than pull your hair."

Leia tugged out the jeweled comb that was holding her hair in place, letting her soft curls tumble down. "I thought that was just a prostitute thing."

"Are you calling me a whore?" Regina asked sharply. She'd gotten enough of that from the court during her marriage, and she instantly stiffened at the suggestion.

"Of course not," Leia said quickly. And then she leaned in again, lower this time, her breath tickling the Queen's neck. "Can I kiss you here?"

"Anywhere but the lips." Regina tilted her head back to give Leia room to press kisses up and down her neck.

Kisses, real ones, were much too dangerous to indulge in, even though Regina knew that there was no chance of this princess being her true love. But the real reason she refused them was out of loyalty to Daniel. He had been her first kiss, and he would be her last. Leopold had never bothered, and Regina had been able to control all of her subsequent conquests.

Leia was feisty, but she would be no exception.

Regina took control as soon as the carriage stopped, as soon as she had the girl on her turf. She hurried the blonde up the staircase, pausing at a landing to press her up against the wall. Leia's neck was far more exposed than Regina's, and it was easy enough for the Queen to kiss and nip as she trailed her fingers up the ridges of Leia's corset through the flimsy dress.

"Regina," the blonde breathed, her head jostling against the stone as she leaned it back.

"Leia," Regina replied. And when she drew back to continue up the stairs, she saw a surprising hint of sadness in the girl's eyes. "What?"

"Don't call me Leia," she said. "Call me anything else."

Regina shrugged and indulged the girl. "Come upstairs, princess," she said before whisking her the rest of the way.

Once the doors to the Queen's chambers were closed behind them, the two women faced each other, Regina smirking as Leia sized her up. "How am I supposed to get you out of that?" the blonde asked, gesturing to Regina's complex and multi-layered gown.

"Patience, dear," Regina purred, even though she was lacking in that department herself. It only took a flick of her fingers to change them. Regina lost several inches along with her shoes, finding herself having to look just slightly upward at Leia. The Queen was dressed in nothing but black silk, a simple negligee from her indulgent lingerie collection, and she'd put Leia in a matching red.

Leia rubbed her side with a wince. "God, I'm glad to get out of that corset."

This time when Regina took the blonde by the waist and pulled her close, she could feel the girl's body like she couldn't when they were dancing. Her flat stomach, the swells of her breasts and their hardening nipples, Regina felt it all through the two layers of thin silk. "And I'm so very glad I brought you home," the Queen said in a low voice, tugging Leia even closer.

At this proximity, the desire to give in and kiss the blonde was overwhelming. Regina resisted and shoved Leia towards the bed.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

Regina woke to little hands on her face, and while her eyes were still bleary she was almost sure she was in the past with a much smaller Henry. A few blinks, and the intruder in her room was Roland.

"Regina!" he said with a smile, and she couldn't help smiling back.

"What's wrong?" Regina gently peeled his hands off her cheeks.

"Can't sleep," he said, pulling his hands out of her grasp and looking a little sheepish for waking her. "May I have some juice?"

Regina glanced at the clock, seeing that it was only about thirty minutes before she'd planned on getting up. "Of course." She got out of bed, slipping on her robe and following the little boy down the stairs. "Why can't you sleep, Roland?"

"Papa snores sometimes," Roland said seriously. "Like a bear."

Regina couldn't help laughing at that. "Well, then, I'm glad he's your roommate and not mine."

Back when Zelena was still terrorizing Storybrooke, Regina finally convinced Robin that it was dangerous to sleep out in the open, and his men were crammed into whatever vacancies Granny had. There wasn't enough room for everyone, so Regina offered up her spare room. To Tinkerbell, who was still staying at the B&B. Tink, ever the schemer, had loudly announced that it was very generous of Regina to invite Robin and his son to live in the mansion, and Regina had been too embarrassed to back out.

It was nice, having them around for protection and companionship. Even though there seemed to be a lot of gossip on the topic, and Emma was more antagonistic towards Robin the longer he stayed.

Maybe, Regina couldn't help thinking as she poured Roland his apple juice, she should have talked to Emma. Maybe her dislike for Regina's new flame was one of the reasons why she wanted to take Henry and go back to New York. If she hadn't wanted to go back, she never would have run from Granny's. She would still be here – if not in Storybrooke, at least in the present.

There was no telling where Emma was, or when Emma was, and Gold had already declared the matter a lost cause. Regina was still trying, but she wasn't having much luck.

A stack of dusty magic books awaited her in the living room when she steered Roland in, but first she busied herself with digging through Henry's childhood movies. Since Roland had no concept of trucks or dinosaurs, Regina selected something with Winnie the Pooh, figuring that woodland creatures were a safe bet.

"Vee-vee?" Roland asked as Regina put in the movie.

"_T_V," Regina enunciated, turning around to see Roland's eyes light up as they always did when the screen came to life. She sat next to him, flipping through another useless book while Roland sucked on his fingers and watched the cartoon animals in awe.

They were halfway through the movie when Regina heard footsteps behind her and was surprised to hear Henry's familiar pattern. He, too, looked like he hadn't been sleeping – no one had, it seemed, except Robin.

"Henry!" Roland squealed as the older boy sat down on the middle of the couch. "Vee-vee, Henry."

"I see it," Henry replied, unable to muster much enthusiasm at this hour. He leaned his head against his mother's shoulder, watching her pages go by. "Any luck?"

"No," Regina told him sadly. "But I'm still searching. I'm not going to give up on this."

Henry sighed, and Regina wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "I can't stop thinking about where and when she might be."

"Me, too." Regina finished going through the book and closed it on her lap. "I had a dream about Emma last night," she added, suddenly remembering what Roland had shaken her out of. "She was wearing a red dress."


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning: Outlaw Queen ahead. But don't despair. SQ smut is ahead as well.**

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

Regina jumped at the feel of arms around her waist, nearly dropping the plate she was washing into the soapy water. She put the dish down gently and wiped her hands before turning to see that it was Robin who had come at her from behind.

"Do you ever stop moving?" he asked with the smirk that seemed to be reserved just for her. "You were up at the crack of dawn with Roland, you spent all day working in your vault, and the second you came home you started making dinner."

"I'm very good at multitasking," Regina told him stiffly. "I spent ten years running this town and raising Henry all on my own."

Robin took a step back, aware that he'd struck a nerve. "I know what you're capable of, Regina. But you're not alone anymore. Let me help." He reached out, bridging the gap he'd put between them, and took a hand that was still warm and damp from the dishes in his own. "I will finish the washing up first thing in the morning. Right now, I'm going to help you relax."

Regina wanted so badly to smile at him, but it felt like everything was boiling over. She was exhausted, drained by magic and emotion. Dinner had been terrible. Henry was clearly miserable about his missing parent, and there was nothing Regina could do to help him. She held back her own sadness, trying to at least shield Roland from what was going on.

"I can't relax!" she blurted out, the tears she'd been holding in spilling over. "I'm the only one who can bring her back. I have to find a way."

This time, when Robin stepped up to embrace her, Regina let him. She tucked her head against his chest and sobbed, grounded by those solid arms around her. "You need to rest," he insisted. "If you tire yourself out, you won't be much help to anybody."

She didn't respond, knowing he was right and hating both of them for it. Robin kissed her hair, and when a teary-eyed Regina finally looked up again, he met her lips. She kissed him back desperately.

Robin was the only thing Regina seemed to get right these days. And with the closest thing she had to a friend suddenly torn away from her, Regina needed Robin.

She felt weak for needing Robin, needing Emma, but the man in front of her made a good point. She was exhausted. After Neverland, after giving up Henry, after facing Zelena…

Regina let Robin guide her up to her room and undress her. To Regina's surprise, he didn't touch her. He hardly even looked at her, although she saw him steal a glance as he rummaged through her dresser. He came back to her with a nightgown, and Regina realized that he really did intend to have her rest.

Tonight he stayed. He stripped off much of his clothing and got into bed behind her.

If he snored like Roland said, Regina didn't find out. She easily slipped into the dream from the night before, the one with Emma dancing in the red ballgown.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Emma crawled back on the enormous bed with Regina in close pursuit. Her mouth had gone dry at the sight of the Queen in her silk. It looked like something Regina might have in the back of her closet in Storybrooke, and if not for the long hair and heavy makeup, the two versions of the woman would be interchangeable.

She liked this hair, Emma decided once Regina was on top of her and nipping along the lace trim at Emma's chest. It gave her something to hold onto tight. She writhed a bit beneath Regina, loving the feel of the silk against her skin and that beautiful body above her own.

She'd never wanted to kiss someone so badly in her life, mostly because nobody had ever forbid her from doing so. Emma had never been one for following rules. But she knew what this was, that it was Regina's attempt to remain in control, and she wasn't about to risk this whole night for just one kiss.

Regina leaned back, and Emma grumbled at the lack of contact. And then she felt the Queen's hands skimming up her thighs. Regina grinned, hair falling over her shoulder and making her look younger and surprisingly soft.

Emma leaned up as Regina slid the red silk up the length of her body and tossed it on the bed behind her. "I don't know why you bothered to put that on me if you were going to take it off so fast," she pointed out, but Regina didn't seem to be listening.

The brunette was too busy looking at Emma, and the blonde blushed under the scrutiny. She brushed her fingers lightly over one of Emma's breasts, smiling at the gasp that resulted. "Don't question me, dear," she said, eyes finally landing on Emma's again. "Unless you want me to stop, that is."

The light touch was suddenly gone, but Emma acted quickly, catching the retreating wrist. "You don't want to stop any more than I do."

Regina laughed, and Emma realized that she'd never heard Regina laugh in Storybrooke. Although this wasn't a real laugh, this was pure Evil Queen. "I could replace you in an instant. There's no shortage of people who would die to be in my bed right now."

"I bet." Emma set her hands on Regina's waist, stroking her sides through the fabric. "But you chose me. You wanted me." With a smirk, she shoved Regina to the side, toppling her and quickly taking control.

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

Regina knew that, no matter what Leia did, she was still in charge. She had magic, after all, and guards stationed in the hall outside her bedroom. But she certainly hadn't anticipated the strong muscles the blonde was hiding under her dress.

She'd always liked a good challenge. And she liked Leia's cocky smirk, the mischief and lust in her eyes.

"Why don't you show me that I chose well, princess?"

Leia's eyes locked hard with hers, and the blonde didn't move for a second. She finally reached out, tugging Regina's hair back and leaning down to the newly exposed neck. Regina could feel teeth and tongue just below her jaw, kisses hard enough to bruise all the way down to her collarbone.

She found herself almost regretting her no-kissing rule, if Leia could do so much with her mouth, but she supposed that the blonde could make use of it elsewhere.

"Get this off you," Leia mumbled against her skin, and Regina sat up and tugged her garment away.

She didn't sink back down onto the bed, instead pulling Leia more into her lap. She wanted that shapely body, that pale skin, as close to her as possible, and this new position allowed her to press the blonde up against her.

"Wait," Leia said breathlessly, leaning back to get a better view of Regina's revealed body. "I always knew you'd be beautiful, but _fuck_, Regina."

Regina couldn't help blushing at that, so she pulled Leia back in, nails indenting the princess's back. "And how often do you imagine me naked, dear?"

"All the time."

The Queen raked her nails down Leia's back and around to her sides, settling at her waist. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Leia hissed, curving into her.

There was something electric about the way the girl felt against her. She wasn't like any of the others. Regina only had two kinds of partners these days: the ones who were too terrified of her to refuse, and the boring ones overly eager to please their Queen.

Leia wanted Regina, and Regina wanted Leia, and the blonde treated Regina like an equal. Something she would have punished in any other circumstance. But as Leia brought her hands between them to cup Regina's breasts, the Queen realized that this was what she'd been craving.

She wouldn't wait any longer. She slipped a hand down between Leia's legs, finding her just as wet and ready as she herself was, and thrust up into her hard.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Emma let out a strangled, particularly embarrassing cry at the sudden entrance of Regina's fingers. She'd dreamed about Regina quite a bit, but dreams couldn't begin to compare. And now she knew the truth. She knew that Regina had a little beauty mark above her left nipple, and another on her stomach. She knew what it was like to hold her, what it was like to have Regina inside her.

She needed more. She needed everything. Emma wrapped one arm tight around Regina to keep them both upright before mirroring the brunette and reaching down to touch her. It was amazing, the fact that Regina was so slick for her. Desperate, too. Emma teased at first, light, erratic strokes against Regina's clit, Regina's hips jerking at each touch.

"Now, Leia," she growled.

Emma froze at that. She would give just about anything to hear Regina say her name like that, but instead a Star Wars character got that honor. The name pulled her back to the present, reminded her that none of this was real.

"My name is Emma," she said, slowly and firmly, looking Regina in the eye.

"I don't care what your name is," Regina snapped. "I just need you."

"Em-ma," the blonde repeated slowly, hoping it would sink in, hoping Regina would remember to cry it out. And then she plunged two fingers deep into the Queen and hurried to match her partner's pace.

No names were said just yet, the room silent aside from labored breathing and the little wet sounds from their fingers. Emma tried to hold on, tried to wait for Regina, but the brunette curled and flexed her fingers deliciously inside her and then found the spot that unraveled her. All those months of wanting and waiting crashed over her, and she came as hard as she ever had, white light flashing beneath her eyelids.

Her own thrusts went erratic, but Regina responded to the unpredictable strokes, tightening her grip on Emma's fingers and on her back. Emma watched her closely, the way her eyelids fluttered and the small movements of her mouth. One brush of Emma's thumb over her clit, and Regina cried out wordlessly before sagging forward against the blonde.

"Emma," she whispered after a moment, her lips brushing against Emma's ear.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

"Emma."

Regina woke with the name on her lips, and a concerned Robin sitting beside her. "You can't even escape from the stress in your dreams," he said.

"I'm fine," Regina said, staring past him and up at the ceiling. The dream had been humiliating and oddly arousing, but certainly not stressful.

She'd had a dream or two about sex with Emma in the past, but this time it felt different. The details were so clear, so real. She'd also been alone when it happened before. There hadn't been a man she loved in the bed beside her. It was a million kinds of wrong.

She reached for him, needing to do something about the ache the dream left behind. He leaned down to meet her in a kiss, and she held him there and didn't let go. "Make love to me," she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Don't worry, there will not be any Outlaw Queen smut or anything like that. I try to avoid writing about boy parts ;)

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

"Do I win?" Leia, Emma, whoever she was – Regina couldn't think clearly enough to care – lifted up her head to see the Queen.

"Don't stop," Regina ordered, although it sounded almost like begging.

"I guess I win, then."

"Win what?" Regina asked, impatient and hoarse.

The blonde may have taken away her wonderful mouth, but she still had three fingers deep inside Regina, making it very hard for the Queen to concentrate. "You wanted me to prove that you picked the right girl."

Regina sucked in a sharp breath and shot a glare at her. "The right girl wouldn't talk so much."

Leia-Emma winked, and Regina exhaled gratefully as soon as she felt the sweep of her tongue once again. She was close, and she was sure the girl had been fully aware of that when she stopped to chat.

But Regina could hardly complain. She'd never had a lover quite like this. She was exhausted and oversensitive, but she still needed more, as badly as she needed air.

The blonde teased with a hint of teeth, and Regina crashed down once again, hardly able to muster a sound.

"I win," she said decisively as she crawled back up Regina's body and settled into the space next to her. The blonde pressed a wet finger to Regina's lips, and the brunette's tongue tentatively darted out to taste herself on Leia or Emma or whoever.

"What's your real name?" Regina asked once the blonde had moved her hand down to the Queen's hip, sticky fingers splayed against her skin.

"Emma. Emma Swan."

"You're not a princess," Regina added.

"I am so a princess," Emma replied with a yawn, evidently as worn out as Regina.

None of Regina's lovers had ever been allowed to spend the night. It was another one of her rules. But Emma was comfortable beside her, and they were both too tired to move, so the Queen said nothing.

She'd finally found someone worth keeping, and she wasn't letting her go.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

Regina opened yet another trunk of supplies, rifling through to see if there was anything of use. Tinkerbell was seated on a crate nearby, reading through a book she'd pilfered from Blue's personal collection. So far, Tink had been no more successful than Regina had, but she was the only one with magic who still believed that Emma and Hook could be rescued.

Another day in the vault, another day with no luck.

"Fairies specialize in dreams, don't they?" Regina asked as nonchalantly as she could, setting down the vials she'd been studying and moving on to a box of pressed herbs.

That got Tink's attention. "I always loved interpreting dreams," she said, looking up from her book. "Why? Tell me what you've been dreaming."

Regina gave her an incredulous look. "Not a chance."

"I can't help you if you won't tell me."

"I don't need help. I'm just curious."

Both women saw the dreamcatcher in the corner of the trunk, but Tink grabbed it first. "Let's find out, shall we?"

"That's _really_ not a good idea," Regina warned.

Tink looked at her for a minute, and Regina winced as the fairy's smile widened. "You're dreaming about sex, aren't you?" She waved a hand over the dreamcatcher, lighting it up with her magic. "I'm just dying to see Robin naked."

"Stop!" Regina tried to think of a counterspell, but it was too late. She could feel the pull of the magic as Tink waved the dreamcatcher over her.

Tink frowned as she stared into the circle. "That's odd."

"It's just a dream," Regina said softly. "Don't read too much into it."

Tink shook the dreamcatcher. "What's odd is that I'm getting nothing. You haven't been dreaming."

Regina snatched the object back, threw it into the trunk, and slammed the lid. "Maybe you're just out of practice. You weren't a very good fairy to begin with."

"I found you Robin, didn't I?" Tink stood up, setting down her book. "Without me, who would you be having sexy dreams about?"

"Fine. You're a competent fairy." Regina headed towards the stairs, but Tink caught her arm before she could take another step. "What?"

"You're not dreaming about Robin," Tink said gently. "It wouldn't trouble you if you were."

Regina just tightened her jaw and stayed put, staring past the fairy into the vault.

"We'll find her," Tink added, and Regina said nothing.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

When Emma woke a few hours later, just about everything ached from the marathon she and Regina had pulled off. They were both sweaty enough that it felt like the Queen was plastered to her back. Emma only moved to hold the hand draped over her hip.

It had been easy enough not to think earlier, when Regina had her hands everywhere, but now that they were still Emma couldn't help wondering if she'd made a mistake.

Well, yes, one very big mistake. She should have taken her chance with her Regina so much earlier. They should have had a night like this back in Storybrooke. A million nights like this. She shouldn't have waited so long, shouldn't have given Robin Hood any time to swoop in and take her place.

But tonight was a mistake. Tonight felt unfair. The Queen didn't know who she really was, that Emma was more than a passing whim. It felt oddly like cheating on Storybrooke Regina.

That Regina was already taken, Emma reminded herself, toying with this Regina's fingers. She'd chosen someone else, and Emma didn't need to be faithful to her. And without some sort of miracle, Emma was never going to see her again.

If she stayed in this time and this place for the rest of her life, maybe she could grow closer to the Queen. Maybe they could have something more than sex – or, at least, sex many more times.

She carefully rolled over to face the brunette, a thrill running through her as she brushed against Regina's skin. In sleep, she was the same Regina. Not that Emma had ever been this close to Storybrooke Regina, but she'd often looked at her during their nights in Neverland. All the tension, resentment, and control vanished. She seemed smaller, but entirely unafraid.

It would be so easy to steal a kiss, but Emma reluctantly ignored those tempting lips and kissed her forehead instead.

She didn't know the ramifications of all this time travel business – it seemed pretty pointless to worry, seeing as she couldn't get home. Stepping in and loving the Evil Queen could change everything. And she knew that's what Hook would tell her when she inevitably saw him again.

Regina deserved to be loved, she argued against the doubt. Loved by someone who knew the full measure of her strength and her flaws.

Maybe she was just overtired, Emma thought. Maybe she was wrong. But she'd never realized that she felt this way, and this strongly, about Regina. She closed her eyes, draping an arm over Regina's waist. As she fell asleep, she pushed away all questions but one: did her Regina miss her?

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

Regina finished off her first glass of cider, feeling Tink's eyes on her as she rose to get a refill. It was as if she could feel the fairy's impatience hanging in the air. But she needed to gather her courage before she could answer any of Tink's million questions.

She asked one of her own instead, before she turned to face the fairy. "How long have you known?"

Tink offered a kind smile as Regina sat down again. "Only since lunch today."

"What was so special about lunch?"

"I talked to Ruby while I was waiting at Granny's," Tink explained. "I told her that you seemed angry even though I'm pretty sure you just got laid."

"You and Miss Lucas should not be discussing my sex life," Regina snapped.

Tink shrugged. "She said that you were worried about Emma. She said you care about her."

Regina felt like crumbling. It took all her strength to sit straight in her chair and keep glaring daggers at the fairy. "Of course I care. Just not in a way that warrants the dreams I've been having about her."

"I don't know what's going on, Regina, but you haven't had any dreams in the past few days."

"They certainly aren't conscious fantasies, if that's what you're implying." Regina knocked back the rest of her glass and put it down too hard on the table. "I would never do those things with Emma Swan."

Tink opened her mouth to speak, and Regina was pretty sure that she wasn't going to like whatever the fairy said next. Thankfully, although unexpectedly, the door to her office flew open, and within seconds Roland was diving into her lap. "Regina!"

Regina glanced over her shoulder to see Robin and Henry in the doorway. "I'm taking us out to dinner," Robin announced. "I don't want you worrying about cooking and cleaning."

"Come on," Roland said, tugging on her hand.

Regina looked at Tink, not sure if she was happy or frustrated that their conversation was being interrupted. "I'm coming," she said, scooping up Roland and balancing him on her hip as she joined the others.

She had enough love right here, she reminded herself. There was nothing she needed from Emma Swan.


	5. Chapter 5

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Voices pulled Emma out of sleep in the morning, one voice in particular. She opened her eyes to find herself alone in the bed, with the blankets tucked carefully around her. Holding a sheet to her chest to cover herself, she sat up and looked towards the voices on the far side of the room.

There she found Regina, with a servant lacing her into an impossibly tight purple dress, and Emma briefly forgot to breathe. The getup Regina wore the previous night was so ostentatious that Emma hadn't really appreciated it. But this was simpler, cinched at the waist and hugging Regina's curves. And then she turned, revealing the plunging neckline and the necklace carefully placed to draw attention downward, and Emma decided that this was by far the best thing she'd ever seen Regina wear.

Regina shrugged off the servants when she saw that Emma was awake, dismissing them with a wave of her hand. She came back to the bed, sitting on the edge and giving Emma a smile. "I hope I didn't wake you."

"I was hoping I'd wake up with you right here," Emma said, patting the space beside her, and the Queen reached out to take that hand in hers.

"I have matters to attend to," Regina explained. "I assure you that I'd much rather stay in bed than meet with ambassadors and generals all day." Her gaze flickered down to their hands for a minute, and Emma was shocked by the almost shyness of the small gesture. "I'd like to see you again tonight."

"I don't know," Emma teased. "Are you sure you have energy for more of me?"

Regina looked back up at her and smirked. "I can still destroy you."

"Game on." Emma leaned forward and planted a kiss just beneath Regina's ear, a place that she'd discovered was especially sensitive. The Queen gasped, just as Emma wanted.

"You'd better get your rest, then." Regina let go of Emma's hand and got up. She paused in the doorway, peeking over her shoulder at the blonde. "Tonight."

Once Regina was gone, Emma flopped back down onto the bed. Every inch of her was deliciously sore, and she considered just staying there, naked beneath the sheets, until Regina returned.

But she was hungry. And she suspected that she should find Hook before he caused any trouble.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

When they got back to the mansion after dinner and dessert, Robin ushered a chocolate-covered Roland upstairs to clean him off. Regina finished hanging up coats and headed for her study with Henry right behind her.

"Mom?" he asked, surprising Regina by closing the door behind them. "Can I talk to you?"

Regina looked at him curiously. Things had remained a bit strained between them, the year they'd spent apart hanging heavily between them. They didn't talk about much except Emma's absence. "Of course, Henry. I'm always here to talk to you." She sat down on the couch, gesturing for him to sit next to her, but he selected a chair across from her.

"How long are Robin and Roland going to live here?"

"Until they find somewhere else, I suppose." Although Robin had never said a word about looking. "Thank you for being so patient. I know it's hard having a toddler around."

"I mean, I like them and all," Henry continued, fidgeting nervously in his seat. "It's just…"

"Just what?" Regina leaned closer, badly wanting to go to Henry's side, to reach out and touch him.

"Just going out to dinner tonight and stuff like that. Robin keeps acting like we're a family, but we're not." Henry quickly backtracked, not wanting to upset his mother. "I like him and everything, and I'm really glad you're happy, but he's not my dad and I don't like that he acts like he is."

Regina nodded, glad to know that it wasn't something worse. Surprised to realize that she agreed with Henry, that she didn't think of their guests as family. "You always come first, Henry," she promised. "_You_ are my family."

"I don't need more parents," Henry added. "I just want Emma to come home and for it to be the three of us. I mean, I guess if you want to marry Robin someday that would be all right, but…"

"It's too soon," Regina finished for him. "I know. I agree. The living situation hasn't been ideal." She gave in and got up, crossing to Henry's chair and giving him a tentative smile. "Do you still have those apartment listings you were looking at for Emma? Maybe I can find something and give them a little push."

"I can get them." Henry stood up, surprising Regina once again by hugging her. Regina pulled her son close.

"You can always come talk to me if you're unhappy," she told him softly. "I'm not like I used to be."

"I know." He pulled back with a smile, and Regina reluctantly let him go.

She spent the next hour alone, looking through another one of her books – this one relating to dreams, although she told herself that maybe it had something to do with rescuing Emma. She glanced up when Robin came in after he put Roland to bed.

"I hope you enjoyed dinner tonight," he said, sitting down beside her. She shut her book quickly, not wanting the topic of her recent dreams to come up.

"It was nice," she said mildly, wondering how she was going to tell him that he needed to move out. How he was going to take it.

"I think we should do more things like that, all four of us." He looped an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe a camping trip. Get out of Storybrooke, away from all the pressure you're putting on yourself."

"Neverland was quite enough sleeping on the ground for a lifetime," Regina told him. And then she went serious. "Anyway, Henry's missed a lot of school this year already, and I _can't_ leave."

"I just want to get you out of that vault for a few days."

Regina stormed over to the window, hugging her arms around her. "Why can't you understand that getting Emma and Hook is important to me?" Well, not Hook so much, but she didn't want to draw suspicion.

"Because I'm stubborn," Robin said, following her. "Just like you. And you need to accept that saving them is a lost cause."

"It's not!" Regina knew that she was getting too loud, that she might wake Roland or worry Henry, but she couldn't bring herself to care. "Emma has never given up on me and I'm not giving up on her. I _will_ find her, no matter how long it takes."

"Regina," Robin said, placing a hand on her shoulder and speaking soothingly as if she were an irrational, screaming child. "You need to be realistic."

She jerked away from his touch. "I will keep working for as long as I must," she said firmly, steadying her tone. "Tomorrow you find somewhere else to live, because having all of us under one roof is too much. You can stay tonight, but not with me. Not in my bed."

Robin looked confused and taken aback. "Are you ending things between us?"

"No." She honestly had no idea what she wanted, aside from ending this discussion. "I'm changing things between us."

Without another word, she stalked out of the room and up the stairs, finally finding quiet once she'd closed her bedroom door.

She hoped the dreams would come again.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

"Why am I not surprised to see you here?" Emma asked as she passed the last set of sentries at the castle's outer gate. Hook was seated just beyond them, far enough that he couldn't be blamed for trespassing but near enough to see everyone who came and went. "Have you been here all night? You look like shit."

Hook gave her an irritated look, gesturing to the ground around him as he stood up. "Not exactly the Queen's finest accommodations."

"I'm sure I could set you up with something in the dungeons." Emma didn't even bother to point out that he could have returned to the inn to spend the night. He was like a guard dog with separation anxiety, and there was no getting rid of him.

"You look well-rested," he said, raking his gaze down her body in a way that suggested that "well-rested" was not the term he really wanted to use.

After Regina left in the morning, her servants fed Emma, attempted to bathe her – she insisted on doing that on her own – and gave her a dress that Emma suspected the Queen herself had selected. It was green to match her eyes, low in the front, and the most comfortable thing she'd worn since they'd landed here.

Under Hook's gaze, Emma pulled her cloak a bit tighter around herself, pretty sure that Regina hadn't picked this dress for men to gawk at. "Regardless of how I look, I'm exhausted."

Hook took a step closer and smoothed Emma's hair back over her shoulder, revealing one side of her neck. "I bet," he said bitterly, noticing a purpling bruise that Regina had left behind. "Now that you've had your fun, let's move on. No need to wear out your welcome."

"I'm welcome for at least another night. I'm pretty sure Regina likes me."

She could see the jealousy flash in Hook's eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you? She's not Regina here. She's the Evil Queen. It doesn't matter how much she likes fucking you. She's still dangerous."

"She's more Regina than you know," Emma said, her voice calm and measured compared to Hook's flaring tone. "Listen, Hook, I'm not leaving to wander around aimlessly. Regina might be our way home. And if she's not, I'd much rather stay here than share a room with you in some rundown inn."

"I seriously doubt she's going to help us, Swan."

"Would you rather go beg Gold?" Emma glanced back at the castle. "Regina doesn't know who I am yet, but she might be powerful enough to help. _And_ she might be willing."

And if they couldn't go back, if Emma was never going to get back to Henry and indoor plumbing, this was the life she wanted. Not wandering with Hook.

They stood in silence for a moment, staring each other down, neither wanting to budge. Emma wasn't quite sure what to do with Hook. It might be dangerous for them to separate, but she didn't want to bring him with her and watch him moon around jealously. That wasn't going to make anyone happy.

"This wasn't just about sex," she said finally. No matter where they ended up, Hook needed to know where Emma stood. "I have feelings for Regina. I guess I have for a while."

He scowled. "But this isn't…"

"Isn't the same Regina," Emma cut in. "I know. But that doesn't mean I don't care about her."

Hook went to protest again, but Emma wasn't in the mood to fight this impossible battle. She headed back through the gates without another word, guards stepping up to keep the pirate from following her.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, everyone. I haven't been doing a great job of replying to comments, but I read and appreciate them all.

This chapter was supposed to have more smut, but Regina never does what I tell her.

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

Regina leaned towards the window, catching a glimpse of Emma walking in the courtyard below. The advisor who currently had the floor droned on in the background, while the Queen followed the movements of the blonde closely. They had to call her name several times before she snapped to attention.

"Are we finished?" she asked. "I don't appreciate having my time wasted with information that I already know. Does anyone else need to bore me terribly?"

Suddenly the council members were looking everywhere but at the Queen, waiting for her nod before scurrying away. No one wanted to incur her wrath.

Not that Regina was feeling all that wrathful today. She found herself having to put on an act, more than usual, to uphold her reputation as the Evil Queen. She felt light, and all she wanted was for this day to end so she could return to her blonde princess.

"Who is he?"

Regina turned to face her father, the only advisor who hadn't sprinted from the room. He stood beside her at the window, peering down along with her. "I don't know who you're talking about, Father."

"The man who put that smile in your eyes," he explained. "I know you better than anyone, Regina, and you haven't looked this alive since…"

There it was, the rage, bubbling up at the simple word "since." "Since Daniel's murder?" she asked harshly, turning to fully face him. "Since I was married off against my will? Since Mother took everything I had from me?"

He gave her that usual apologetic look, the one that didn't in any way begin to make up for the things he'd let happen to Regina. "I just want to see you happy again."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." Regina took another peek out the window, but Emma had wandered out of sight. "We've only just met."

"True love knows," he began, and at that the Queen turned and stormed from the room. She'd already had and lost two supposed true loves, Daniel and the man with the lion tattoo. Regina knew all too well that the world was cruel, especially to her, and the idea of having a third true love was ridiculous even for the most charmed of people. Not even Snow White could pull that off.

But Snow would probably get it right the first time, and Regina seemed to ruin everything she touched.

She made her way down to the gardens, finding Emma staring at her apple tree. "I've had that tree since I was a little girl," she said.

Emma glanced over her shoulder at the Queen and smiled. "So I've heard."

Regina stepped closer, brushing against Emma's back as she reached up to pluck an apple. "Try one."

The blonde turned around, impossibly close to Regina, and raised an eyebrow. "Sure it's not poisoned or something?"

"What?" Regina took a step back, insulted. "I assure you, I take excellent care of my tree. Nothing harmful could possibly get into its fruit."

Emma closed the space between them again, wrapping an arm around Regina's waist. "Relax. It was just a joke." To prove it, she leaned forward and took a bite of the apple the Queen was still holding.

Regina was well aware that she wasn't known for her sense of humor, but she didn't get it. She shrugged the joke away, waiting for Emma to finish her sampling. "What do you think?"

"Almost as delicious as you."

That earned Emma a smile. "I'm cancelling everything else for today, since I can't seem to concentrate with you around." Regina pulled away from Emma's arms, handing her the apple before she began walking away. "Shall we pretend that it's tonight already?"

She didn't bother looking back. She knew that Emma would be right behind her.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

"More sexy Emma dreams last night?" Tink asked as she joined Regina in the vault.

Regina tried not to react but couldn't help blushing. "They're getting worse."

"Worse how?"

The brunette shook her head, not wanting to get into the details. There was no way that she was ever going to tell anyone about putting her mouth on Emma, exploring the slippery wetness with her tongue. She could still taste her, even though she'd been awake for hours. "Let's just focus on the task at hand."

"If you insist." Tink began flipping lazily through a book. "When she's back, are you going to tell her that you've been dreaming about her?"

"No, and if you do I will pluck off those new wings myself." Regina opened another box, finding the chemistry set that she used to brew potions here in Storybrooke. She picked up a small, empty bottle.

"I hear you kicked Robin out." Regina frowned as Tink changed the subject to one she wanted to talk about even less. "Related?"

"He's smothering me," Regina said simply as she studied the bottle. It didn't match the clean, sleek beakers that came with the set. It was sitting in the spot reserved for the beaker that she'd smashed against the wall of her office that day with Emma.

"Are you still together?" Tink asked, but she could see that Regina was suddenly lost in thought. "Or are you saving yourself for crazy lesbian sex with Emma?"

Regina hardly heard the words. She'd finally identified the bottle as the one that brought Emma's memories back, the one containing the potion she'd recently tried to replicate.

The bottle crashed to the floor, and Tink jumped. "I'm guessing that's a no to crazy lesbian sex."

"Emma already knows," Regina said, turning each word over slowly. "I haven't been dreaming at all."

Tink rose to her feet, watching Regina carefully, concerned by the faraway look in her eyes. "Regina?"

"Emma's in my past," Regina said, the pieces suddenly clicking together. She didn't know if she should be horrified or relieved. "They're not dreams. They're memories."

Tink took a moment to catch up. "You mean she's actually…"

Regina turned and walked deeper into the vault, needing some space. She had no idea what to think, how to react. Emma was alive and safe, at least.

But either Regina's past self was taking advantage of Emma, or Emma was taking advantage of her, and both possibilities were troubling. Regina leaned back against the nearest wall, closing her eyes and forcing herself to breathe.

There had been nothing forced about the moments she'd witnessed between them. The sex had been enthusiastic, really. And while Regina's own participation had her confused, Emma knew what she was doing. Emma _wanted_ her. And in the Enchanted Forest, in that period of Regina's past, the Queen was available and willing. There was no Robin in the way, no Hook or Neal, no Graham, no Emma's infuriating parents, no Henry… Those who existed in that time and place didn't know Emma and Regina the way they did here. Except the Hook Emma had traveled with, but Regina hadn't seen very much of him.

Tinkerbell made her way softly towards Regina, keeping a safe distance. "She cares about you, you know," she said tentatively. "I don't know the details of your memories, but I imagine that there's more to it than sex."

Emma in the morning, still asleep and tangled around Regina, and the Queen not wanting to disturb her. Or leave her, for that matter. Emma waking an hour later, looking at her, silently asking her to come back to bed. Emma by her tree, staring at the branch she'd hacked off with a chainsaw.

"I…" Regina turned to look at Tink, scrambling for words or thoughts. "I have to go."

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Today, Regina took her time. She unlaced Emma's bodice slowly, despite the blonde's impatient grumbling. "I see why they call you evil," Emma said, eyeing Regina's complicated dress and trying to form some sort of strategy for removing it.

Suddenly, Regina's hands were gone from the front of Emma's dress and the Queen was sitting back, no longer hovering over the blonde. She looked something between pissed off and sad, an expression Emma was all too familiar with from Storybrooke.

If Regina didn't like being called evil in Storybrooke, Emma couldn't imagine that she liked it when the title was still new. "Shit, Regina, I'm sorry."

"That's the Evil Queen to you," the brunette snapped, getting up from the bed and pacing to the far side of the room. "Get out."

Emma rose to her feet too, but knew better than to follow Regina. "It was a joke. I didn't mean anything by it."

"I'm glad that casting aspersions at me entertains you so." She turned to face Emma again, and from this distance she just looked angry. But Emma had a feeling that, if she got closer, she'd see a more personal kind of hurt. "But I have better things to do to make you laugh."

"I don't think you're evil," Emma told her honestly. "In fact, I _know_ that you're not."

Regina let out a dark laugh. "Now there's a joke I can understand."

"I'm serious." Emma took a few steps closer.

The Queen crossed her arms over her chest. "Then you clearly don't know me very well."

Another few steps, and Emma was almost near enough to touch Regina. Certainly near enough for Regina to lash out at her. "I know enough. I know that you've done a lot of evil things." Emma tried her best to smile, to give some sort of encouragement. "But there is good in you."

Regina refused to make eye contact, but she dropped her arms to her sides, no longer closing herself off. "Anyone else would have run far away by now. I could have you hanged for treason if I didn't just kill you myself first."

"You haven't called your guards," Emma pointed out. "And I'm still standing." Although pointing that out was probably the quickest way to get herself killed.

Regina finally looked at her again, and Emma grew nervous under her scrutiny. Maybe Hook had been right after all. Maybe she was in serious trouble.

"You're not afraid of me," Regina said, seemingly stunned by the idea.

"You terrify me," Emma admitted. She could imagine Storybrooke Regina's smirk. "But that doesn't mean you're evil."

Regina closed the space between them, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of Emma's mouth. Not the full kiss Emma wanted, but a start. "I've never met anyone like you, Emma Swan."

Emma could think of a million terrible, sappy ways to reciprocate the sentiment. And then she gave up on words and simply put her arms around the Queen. "Worst foreplay ever," she finally said, and Regina gave her an honest laugh at that.

"We can try this again later," Regina told her, beginning to lace up Emma's dress again.

"We can try again right now."

Regina shook her head and Emma knew better than to press, no matter how exciting it was to have the Queen's hands brushing against her breasts. "I need to be alone."


	7. Chapter 7

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

Regina knew that she'd made a mistake the second she stepped into the stables. The sounds and smells always brought Daniel to mind, and Daniel meant feeling guilty as well as unsettled. But riding was always the best way to clear her head, so she stepped forward, stopping in front of the stall holding her oldest friend.

Rocinante was the only one in Regina's life who didn't believe she was evil. Regina's own father, while continuing to love and support her, silently judged her. The Queen wasn't sure a horse could comprehend some of the atrocities he'd witnessed, but Rocinante trusted her either way. He nudged her shoulder when she stepped in beside him, just the way he always had.

And now there was Emma, who didn't know the girl she'd been but still believed that there was something worthwhile in Regina.

Regina was trusting too quickly, opening up too quickly, but she couldn't fight the force with which Emma had hit her. She didn't want to feel something for the blonde princess who supposed to be merely a pretty plaything. She knew she should just take her to bed one more time and then discard her.

She knew that if she slept with Emma again, she wasn't going to want to give her up.

She made one last adjustment to Rocinante's bridle and led him out, about to step through the stable doors when she heard a voice from behind her. "A word, Your Majesty?"

Regina touched a hand to Rocinante's neck, letting him know to wait, and turned to see a man walking through the stables. As soon as the sunlight hit him, she remembered. He had been Emma's escort at the ball, the one who'd glared daggers at her after she stepped in. "Charles, is it?"

He bowed, but Regina knew better than to trust his deference. She'd long ago learned that anything she wanted, someone would try to take from her. And since she and this man wanted the same thing, he was a serious threat.

"I bring a warning," Charles told her as he straightened up. "Your new bedmate is not who you think she is."

Regina had been too distracted the night before to ask Emma _why_ she needed an alias, but she scoffed at the man anyway. "She told me exactly who she is."

"Did she?" His smirk was beginning to grate on her. "She told you where she's from, then? Who her parents are?"

The Queen took a few steps forward at that, putting on her haughtiest expression. "I'm a smart woman, Charles," she said coldly, "and I know better than to believe anything told to me by a jealous lover. Emma has made it perfectly clear that she doesn't care for you."

Charles started at the name.

"Yes, Emma," Regina repeated. "Like I said, she told me who she is."

"But she hasn't told you everything," Charles protested. "You're still calling me Charles. You don't know who I am."

Regina moved even closer, drawing herself up to full height and wishing that she had on a higher heel than her riding boots. She could smell the rum on him as she stared him down. "I know _exactly_ who you are. You're a prisoner." Now she was the one with a smirk. "Guards!"

Not wanting to waste any more time or attention on the man, Regina mounted Rocinante and spurred him on.

"I don't know who he thinks he is," she said, using Rocinante for a sounding board like she often did when she couldn't seem to speak to anyone else. "I don't know who he thinks _I_ am."

Maybe what Charles meant was that Emma wasn't actually a princess. Her language certainly sounded more like a peasant's than a royal's, and she couldn't dance or tolerate a corset. But Regina didn't care how poor she might be. It hadn't mattered with Daniel, and now that Regina was rich, powerful, and feared, she could certainly have whoever she wanted.

"I keep thinking about Daniel when I think about her," she told Rocinante. "I know I shouldn't. I can't betray him like this."

Once they'd reached a creek that Rocinante was particularly fond of, Regina left him to drink. And the thought of what Daniel would make of whatever was going on with Emma brought the Queen to a train of thought she tried so hard to avoid. What would Daniel say if he could see her now?

He would hate what she had become in the past few years, Regina knew that. He would be horrified by the destruction she'd caused. He certainly wouldn't be pleased to know how many men and women Regina had slept with since her husband's death.

But if she found love again, Daniel would understand that.

"He'd like Emma, wouldn't he?" she asked the horse, who left the creek and slowly made his way to her. "He'd want me to be happy."

Rocinante whinnied, and Regina imagined that it was in agreement. They rode back twice as fast as they'd gone out, and the Queen left Rocinante with a stable hand while she ran for the garden.

There Emma was again, as if Regina's tree exerted some sort of pull on her. She looked up at the sound of Regina's boots on the gravel path, smiling. Whether it was at the novelty of seeing a Queen sprinting towards her, or Regina's tight leather riding pants, or something else that had her amused, Regina wasn't sure.

The blonde rose to her feet, and Regina came to a stop in front of her. "Where's the fire?" Emma asked, and yes, now she was definitely looking at the pants.

Regina took Emma's face in both hands, guiding it up until the blonde looked at her again. And then she leaned in and kissed her.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

A jolt shot through Emma that was more than surprise or even arousal. It was something she'd felt before, back when that wraith was tearing up Storybrooke. Regina had been trying and failing to open that portal, but it only worked after Emma touched her.

This Regina, the one she was currently kissing, drew back. "You have magic?"

"Yes," Emma said. "More importantly, you kissed me."

Regina gave her a shy smile. "I want to do it again."

Emma pushed aside all thoughts of magic, instead focusing on the fact that she was finally kissing Regina. The Queen was surprisingly reserved, given all the two of them had already done. But she held on tightly to Emma, urging the blonde to go on, and she opened her mouth when Emma offered her tongue.

When Emma opened her eyes, she saw purple smoke clearing to reveal Regina's bedchamber. She ran her hands down the Queen's back, reaching the skintight leather and getting a soft moan from Regina as she palmed her curves. And then Emma hoisted Regina up and carried her to the bed. Clothing was gone in a second, although Emma couldn't say whose magic was responsible. Despite the bare skin, they focused on the kiss.

How she'd gone this long without kissing Regina, Emma didn't know. All she knew was how important this was, the Queen breaking her own rule like this. She was handing over control, and Emma could count on one hand the number of times either Regina had done that.

The previous night had been fast and frenzied, but Emma took her time today, exploring every inch of Regina. Her fingers trailed over the brunette's sides, her back, her neck beneath her heavy braid. She handled her breasts gently, sticking to her slow pace, celebrating every inch of skin.

"Emma," Regina breathed heavily against her ear. "Don't tease. Make love to me."

_Love_. The word echoed in Emma's head. It wasn't a declaration on Regina's part, but she treasured it just the same. It meant she was more than a quick fuck.

Emma rolled onto her back and guided Regina over her, bending up a knee to press against the Queen's center. Regina leaned down for another languid kiss, and Emma slipped her hand between the other woman and her leg. She curled her fingers upward and Regina broke the kiss for a gasp before diving back in greedily.

Regina rocked herself against Emma, Emma's fingers countering each movement. Emma gave her more and more kisses until Regina's breathing was too far gone to allow it, and then she cradled the brunette's head against her shoulder as Regina came down on her fingers one last time and let loose a cry.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

"Regina?"

Regina looked up slowly to find absolutely the last person she wanted to see right now. Snow was pushing baby Neal in a stroller, and she'd stopped short on the sidewalk when she saw the mayor sitting on the bench under her apple tree.

She didn't respond, but that had never deterred Snow before. Regina watched the other woman scoop up the infant, leaving the stroller on the sidewalk so the wheels wouldn't get stuck in the mud. "Are you all right?"

"I was until you showed up." Regina tried to stare Snow down, but Snow sat down beside her anyway.

Snow repositioned the baby, checking to make sure he was comfortable before turning to Regina again. "I heard about Robin."

"Don't," Regina warned. "I did what was best for Henry and I, and I certainly don't want relationship advice from you."

Snow shrugged. Her nonchalance was almost as irritating as her interest. "I'm sure you had good reasons. I'm just wondering how you're feeling."

How she was feeling? Confused, mostly, but Regina wasn't going to tell her about that. "I'm fine," she said curtly. "Is that all?"

The baby gurgled, and Regina couldn't hold back a smile at that. "Would you like to hold him?" Snow didn't wait for an answer before handing Neal over, and Regina was happy to take him. Henry had been bigger than this when she adopted him, but it still brought back memories of those first months.

Despite the peace offering, however, Regina was not about to chat with Snow about her love life. "I've located Emma," she said instead.

"You have?" Snow stared at her, mouth comically hanging open. "How? Where is she? Is she all right?"

"She's in the Enchanted Forest, around the time you and your prince started carrying on together." Regina brought her focus back to the baby, giving him a smile. "I believe she's fine. I woke up today with a memory of seeing her and Hook dancing at a ball."

Snow nodded eagerly. "Does this mean you can bring her back?"

Regina reluctantly looked up at the other woman, and she could see the disappointment clouding Snow's face at the sight of Regina's grim expression. "I'm doing everything I can."

"Let me know if you remember anything else," Snow said. "Maybe you'll cross paths with her again."

Regina handed the baby back over as Snow got up to leave, and the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. "How do you know? How are you so sure about love?"

"I'm sure you'll work things out with Robin."

"Forget Robin." Snow looked up from Neal, surprised. "I know that he's supposed to be my true love, but he doesn't feel right," Regina admitted. "What if I belong with someone else?"

"Trust your heart," Snow said almost instantly.

"This is why I don't ask you for anything," Regina scoffed. "Thank you for the most cliché advice possible."

Snow smiled. "Good luck, Regina."


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the delay and for this chapter being pretty short! I was away all weekend and didn't have time to write or post. I'm bringing my new dog home tomorrow, so the pace will probably be slower than it was from here on out.**

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

While Regina dozed against her, Emma undid her braid and combed her fingers through the Queen's hair. The quiet gave her a moment to think over the facts, which were these:

She was in love with every side of Regina.

She could go home.

The right thing to do would be finding Hook again and using her newly returned powers to take them back to Storybrooke. Emma had to get back to Henry and everyone else she cared about.

But Storybrooke would mean trading in a Regina who loved her back for a Regina who merely tolerated her. A Regina who always seemed to have a secret smile on her face these days, who held hands with Robin on Main Street and took him home with her at night.

It had been bad enough before, and Emma didn't know how she could stand watching Regina with someone else now that she knew how she kissed. The intimacy of lying in bed next to the other woman would be gone forever. The Regina she left behind would get hurt, and Emma would have to spend the rest of her life knowing that the one person she wanted would never be hers.

"What are you thinking about?" Regina asked softly, and Emma glanced down to see that the Queen had opened her eyes.

"You," Emma said honestly, and Regina smiled. "Always you."

Regina tugged Emma down for a kiss, and the blonde gratefully responded. She continued down Regina's body, lips pressed to her skin, pausing here and there to nip at her. Regina arched up into her even as she said, "It's supposed to be your turn."

Emma paused, resting her chin on Regina's stomach. "You're the Queen. It's always your turn."

Regina reached down to tuck a strand of hair behind Emma's ear. "I'm the Queen, so you have to do whatever I say."

Emma grinned at her. "Kinky."

Regina just crooked a finger at her, and Emma crawled back up the bed. "Keep going," she said after Emma paused to kiss her.

Emma realized what the Queen demanded, a thrill running through her. How was she possibly going to go back to not having sex with Regina? How could anything compare? She moved almost all the way to the headboard until she had a knee on each side of Regina's head and the brunette's hands grasping her hips.

The touch of Regina's tongue on Emma's clit, which was still overly sensitive from the previous night, brought Emma from the future back to now. She wanted to remember every detail of this moment, but everything began to blur together when Regina added her fingers, reaching as deep as she could into the blonde. Emma wanted to savor this, but she knew it would be over too soon. She looked down into Regina's eyes, seeing how damn happy she was, and then a well-angled thrust of Regina's fingers had Emma leaning forward into the headboard and gasping for air.

Regina kept her fingers angled just so and sucked hard, and Emma nearly banged her head against the wall when the orgasm tore through her. She stayed there, unable to think, let alone move. Regina slid out from under her and kneeled on the bed behind her, gently guiding Emma to lean back into her arms.

Emma couldn't stop herself. As soon as she could form a coherent sentence, she did. "I love you, Regina." After a lifetime of running from emotion, she'd finally found a place she didn't want to leave.

The Queen didn't say it back, but she tightened her embrace and pressed a kiss to Emma's shoulder, and that was enough.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

Regina couldn't say if things were getting better or worse, but they were certainly getting more intense. The sex was intense but so, too, was Emma. The things she said, the way she looked at Regina, were proof that this was not just about sex.

And then the blonde mentioned love. Emma was not the head over heels, love at first sight type, and that's when Regina knew for sure. These feelings hadn't developed over the course of 24 hours with Regina's past self. Emma had brought them with her. It had taken Emma months to say those words to Henry, even longer to acknowledge her parents.

She must have loved Regina for a long time.

Regina was also irritated with Emma, of course. If she had magic again, why wasn't Emma here?

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

Regina had been staring absently at the wall of her office, and she reluctantly put all thoughts of Emma aside as she turned to see Robin and a large bouquet of roses lingering in the doorway. "I was just about to leave," she told him even though she'd been just about to leave for something like an hour.

"It's Thursday," he pointed out, coming up to her desk. "I wanted to see if we're still on for date night. Roland's with my men, and Henry's with his grandparents." He held out the flowers, and Regina was glad to busy herself with fetching and filling a vase for them. "I understand your reasons for not wanting to live together, but I don't intend to lose you."

What if Emma never came back? It certainly didn't seem like she wanted to, and her magic was so unpredictable that Regina wasn't sure she _could_ get back.

It seemed a waste to throw away a sure thing for something that might never happen. But stringing Robin along was something the old Regina would have done. And it wasn't just Robin. It was Roland, too.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," she finally said.

"We can take it slow," he offered. "Perhaps the roses were a mistake."

"They're beautiful," Regina told him as she finished arranging them in the vase.

"Well, we both need to have dinner. We might as well do it together."

Regina took a deep breath. "Robin, there's somebody else who I… I might care for."

He stared at her, incredulous. "Who is he?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me." Robin held out his arm, lion tattoo facing up. "After the story you told me about this? After I let you practically become a mother to Roland? How could you do this, Regina?"

Regina looked down at her desk, not bothering to attempt to explain that she hadn't _done_ anything. "I hate that this will hurt Roland," she told him. "I didn't know this would happen, Robin. I didn't want this to happen."

"What _did_ happen, Regina?"

She shrugged, not wanting to get into the whole complicated story. If she did, she knew Robin would point out what she already knew, that Emma was a long shot at best. "I've never been very good at seeing what's right there in front of me."

"I think we both have that problem," he said, and Regina took a step back at how angry he looked. "I didn't see you for who you really are."

"Robin…"

"You may not be murdering and casting curses, Regina, but you're still selfish." In his anger he knocked the vase to the floor, breaking the vase and sending water and roses everywhere.

Regina looked down at the mess and then back at him. "Go," she said, her voice wavering as she tried to tamp down her own rage at what he's just said. "Get out."

She sank back into her chair once he was gone and closed her eyes, reaching for one of her newly added memories.

_Emma stood in front of Regina with that slight crooked smile she always did when she was feeling awkward. "I know that you've done a lot of evil things," she was saying. "But there is good in you."_

"Please come back," she whispered to the empty office, wishing that memories could be transferred both ways.

She would never admit it out loud, but she needed Emma Swan.

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

Love.

Regina kept repeating the word to herself in her head as she and Emma curled up together once more. She traced the letters up Emma's arm, considering.

No one had loved her in a very long time, and as crazy as it seemed, she believed the blonde. Maybe her father was right, maybe all that love at first sight nonsense from storybooks was real.

She felt young again, the same giddiness she'd felt with Daniel, although she certainly wasn't as innocent. It was as if having someone who didn't care about the horrible things she'd done washed them all away. She nuzzled closer to Emma, tightening her grip.

"I should probably tell you," she said, not wanting to keep secrets. "I threw your boyfriend in the dungeon."

Emma laughed, rolling over to face Regina directly. "It was only a matter of time before he ended up behind bars, believe me."

"He was trying to convince me that I don't really know you," Regina explained.

Emma sobered at that, eyes suddenly landing somewhere beyond the Queen. "What did he say to you?"

"Nonsense about you not telling me where you're from or who your parents are. Nothing I care about," she assured the blonde. "I'm sure he only wants you back. Anyone would."

"Well, I'm not…" Emma trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "I mean, I wouldn't…"

Regina watched her grope for words and immediately hated herself. She should have known better. Open your heart, and it will get broken, she knew that, and Emma was already pulling away. Whatever she was trying to promise Regina, she couldn't do it. She was already leaving.

She stiffened her posture as she rose from the bed, leaving her foolish lover self behind as she resumed the Queen. "I'm sure I can arrange for you to see him," she said, glad to be facing away. Her mask wasn't coming on as easily as it always did.

She was waiting for the denial, anyway. For Emma to prove that there was no need to put her walls back up. "That would be good," Emma said from behind her, and Regina shut the door of her massive closet behind her so that the blonde wouldn't see her crack.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So sorry for the long delay. I love the new dog, but adjusting to him has been really exhausting. Thanks for being so patient!**

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Emma waited, leaning against the bars, but Hook was far too busy flirting with the brunette in the next cell to notice her. Well, trying to flirt. The other woman was clearly having none of it.

"I always knew I'd find you behind bars someday," Emma finally said. She was growing impatient, wanting to get this over with. Wanting to get back upstairs to Regina, mostly. "I just always imagined I'd be the one who put you there."

"Swan," Hook said, pleased, abandoning his neighbor and making his way towards the front of the cell. "I knew you'd spring me."

"Not why I'm here." Emma couldn't help smirking at him for a moment, but then she went serious. "What did you say to Regina?"

Hook rolled his eyes. "I didn't have to say much. Seems your Queen has always been touchy." Emma fixed him with a glare. "You as well, I see. I didn't tell her all your secrets, if that's what you're asking. I only told her that you have secrets."

"You shouldn't have done that."

"Do you think she'll still want you when she knows who your mother is?" Hook teased.

Emma grabbed a fistful of leather and yanked Hook up to the bars. "My mother is younger than I am right now. She'd never believe you."

But how could she be angry with him, when she knew she had to tell Regina? If she was going to stay here longer, she needed to come clean. And if she left…

"Listen," she said, letting the pirate go. "Just keep quiet for a few more days, okay? I can't walk away right now."

Hook laughed darkly at her. "You think you're going to walk away at all? How many times do I have to tell you that she's different here? If you get in any deeper, she's never going to let you go."

"I can hold my own." Emma held out her hand and closed her eyes, suddenly feeling a weight in her palm. When she opened her eyes, Hook's namesake appendage was in her hand, and he was gaping at her.

"You have your magic back?" he asked far too loudly, and Emma motioned for him to be quiet. "What the hell are we still doing here?"

Emma slipped the hook through the bars so the pirate could replace it. "I'm not ready yet."

Hook arched an eyebrow. "This from the woman who dragged me to Neverland to save her son? Don't you want to get home to the lad?"

Emma was quiet, the guilt creeping over her again. Henry must be worrying about her. They all were probably worrying about her, and here she was putting herself first. Chasing a dream that would never be anything more.

"This is about her, then," Hook said after a pause. "You don't want to go back to our time and see Robin Hood's hands all over her."

Emma really hoped that she wasn't quite that transparent. But before she could respond, the woman in the neighboring cell came up to the bars. "Robin Hood?" she asked. "I'm…" she lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. "I'm his wife."

Emma just stared at her, eyes wide. Hook smiled. "Well, Swan, there you have it. Save the lady and have Regina all to yourself."

The blonde stood there in silence, putting the pieces together. So this was Marian, Robin's long-dead wife, Roland's mother. Putting a stop to her execution would mean she'd never died, would mean Robin never would have spared Regina a glance.

"No," Emma said firmly, despite a pang of guilt at the idea of letting this woman die. "I couldn't do that to Regina. She's finally happy, and she deserves it." She turned and hurried away, not wanting to look Marian in the eyes.

She would have to take away one Regina's happiness when she left, but she wasn't going to betray her twice. And then she turned the corner and nearly collided with this realm's Regina, who looked as though she felt betrayed enough already.

"We should talk," Emma said before the Queen could even open her mouth. "There's a lot I need to tell you."

Regina stared at her for a second, and then she disappeared.

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

"You told me yourself that time travel is impossible," Regina said as she paced across the floor one more time. Suddenly, her legs didn't seem to work anymore, her feet glued to the spot, and she shot Rumplestiltskin a glare.

"How am I supposed to think when you're clomping around in those heels?" he said by way of explanation. "And yes, time travel _is_ impossible. But you forget, dearie, that I can also see the future."

Regina crossed her arms over her chest, not softening her gaze one bit. "What do you see?"

"You and this Emma in another realm. One I've never seen before."

"The only thing that tells me is that she's from another realm," the Queen scoffed. "Why should I believe she's from another time?"

"Oh, many things." Rumple stepped closer to her, stroking his fingers down Regina's cheek. "The wrinkles, for one. You don't age well."

"That's a lie," a third voice said, and both Regina and Rumple looked toward it in alarm. They always cloaked the room when they met, and in all the years they'd been working together no one had ever disturbed them. But Emma had penetrated the impenetrable spell. "You're even more beautiful in the future."

Regina refused to blush or even smile in Rumple's presence, holding herself rigid and regal. "What are you doing here?"

"Tracking spell," Emma said with a small smile of her own. "You'll teach it to me, and I'll be terrible at it. But you always say that my magic is strongest when I'm feeling something, when I need something." She took a few steps closer, and Regina wouldn't have paid any attention to the subtle move of the blonde's hand had the tug on her shoes not lifted. "I needed to find you."

Rumple turned his predatory gaze on Emma. "You didn't tell me you had magic."

"I thought you could see the future," she replied a bit smugly. "Anyway, I didn't. Not until we…"

Regina gave her a warning look. There were some things Rumple didn't need to know.

"I can't explain how she managed to travel here," Rumple continued. "But if she has magic, she can reverse the original spell." A wand materialized in his hand, and he held it out to Emma. "As promised."

Before Regina could even process what she was doing, she reached out and snatched the wand. But it wasn't as comforting as she expected to hold Emma's fate in her hand. She wanted Emma to stay with her so badly, despite the lies the blonde had told her, but she didn't want to force her hand.

The Queen just wanted everything so much. First, she wanted Rumplestiltskin gone. That part was easy. What she wanted from Emma was a much more complicated matter.

It was Emma who convinced Rumple to leave, while Regina just focused on the weight of the wand in her hand and not letting herself cry. She stared at the far end of the room, eyes blurry with the tears she was trying to fight.

"I know you," Emma said softly, and Regina blinked a few times to see Rumple gone. "In the future. I know you there. I love you there. You don't love me back, and when I saw you here, I thought I had a chance."

Regina looked down at the wand, not wanting to hold Emma's intense gaze any longer. "I'm sure it's not your fault. I don't love anyone, not anymore."

Emma stepped closer, skimming her fingers over Regina's hair. And then the blonde pressed a hand over Regina's heart, and the Queen froze, snapping her eyes back up. Love is weakness, she reminded herself as she braced herself for Emma's hand to slip inside her. For the first person she'd allowed herself to feel anything for in so many years to kill her.

"Hey." Emma gave her a slight smile. "I'm not going to take it. It's yours to give, and you will give it again someday."

Regina took a shaky breath, surprised that the flesh between her heart and Emma's hand remained solid. "I'm not alone?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. Was it really possible that her future could hold more than her reign of terror? That happiness was out there?

"You have a family," Emma said with a tinge of sadness. "A soulmate or whatever."

Regina took the hand that was resting over her heart and pulled it away from her chest before pressing the wand into it. If things were going to be better, maybe she could give Emma up. But the blonde didn't seem pleased to have her ticket home. "You are," she realized aloud. "You're alone."

Emma glanced down at the wand and then back at Regina. "I have to go home, but can I pretend I'm not alone for just a little longer?"

The Queen nodded, closing the half-step between them and kissing Emma.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke**

"Hey, Mom." Henry stood by the door of the study, just returning from dinner with his grandparents. "Are you okay?"

Regina glanced up from her uncharacteristically messy desk – a combination of magic books and papers from work – and offered Henry a smile. "I'm fine, Henry. Why wouldn't I be?"

The boy shifted his weight from one foot to the other, looking a bit sheepish. "I know I said I didn't want Robin living here, but that doesn't mean I wanted you to break up with him. I want you to be happy."

Regina got up from her desk, abandoning her work for the night. "I broke up with him for my own reasons," she assured her son. "Robin wasn't going to make me happy."

Henry looked skeptical, and Regina supposed she couldn't blame him. Yet she didn't know how she could possibly explain all that had happened since Emma had appeared in her memories.

"There's still love out there for me," she said, surprised to be saying those words. Surprised that they were true. "There's a family for both of us. I just need to wait a little longer."

"I hope so."

_Can I pretend I'm not alone for just a little longer?_ Regina could see the pain in Emma's eyes, and she shared her past self's desire to pull her closer. She understood now why Emma hadn't returned to them immediately, but she hoped Henry's other mother did soon. Regina could make sure that Emma was never alone again. And if she offered that, maybe Emma wouldn't feel the need to run off to New York. "I know so, Henry," she told him, both her voice and her eyes far away. In the past where she was forgiving Emma, in the future where she was holding Emma once again… She wanted to be anywhere but now.

As soon as Henry retreated to his room, Regina pulled out her phone. She dialed Tink's number with a bit of dread, not wanting to admit this out loud, not wanting to give the fairy that satisfaction. But there was no one else to turn to.

"Hi, Regina."

Regina had made the call sitting at her desk, but as soon as she heard Tink's voice she was on her feet and circling the room. "You're a terrible fairy," she blurted out. It was so much easier to go on the offensive.

"Good evening to you, too. What have I done this time?"

"I was never supposed to be with Robin," she said, pausing by the window. "We're totally incompatible."

"You've been just fine together for weeks," Tink pointed out. "And you _were_ supposed to be together. At that point in time, at least. But as you've seen, time is a complicated matter."

"Could you do the spell again?" Regina asked breathlessly. Yes, that was the safest option. "Could you find out who I'm meant to be with now?"

Tink sighed loudly into the phone. "Regina, you've never been one to sit still and let destiny happen to you. You don't need magic to tell you who to love."

"I know, but…"

Tink cut her off. "You have until she comes back to sort out your feelings, but I'm pretty sure you already know."

Regina closed her eyes, feeling the ghost of Emma's kiss. "I can see myself with her. Not just in memories but for a long time to come."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: The last section of this chapter is a retelling of a few scenes from seasons 1 & 2, from the point of view of a Regina who has already met Emma. It should be pretty straightforward, but I thought I'd warn you lovely readers because it's different from the rest of this story.**

* * *

**Regina: Enchanted Forest**

Greedy was the only word Regina could think of to describe the rest of that day. That night, too. She was determined to take everything she could before Emma left, and the blonde was perhaps even needier. The Queen cancelled everything, and they spent hours grasping at each other, trying to be as close as possible. Trying to take in as much of the fire between them as they could before they separated.

"I will see you again," Emma kept promising during the quiet moments.

Now was not one of those quiet moments. They'd dozed off for an hour or two long after midnight, and faint sunlight was beginning to wash over the bed as they woke again. And then, without wasting any of the little time they had left, Emma climbed over Regina and they began again.

Regina gripped at the blonde's back hard as they rocked against each other, fingers trying to find purchase on Emma's sweat-slicked skin. She was almost too over-stimulated to bear it. They'd had to give up on penetration hours ago, after Emma fucked Regina to the point of bleeding, but that had in no way slowed them down.

She was never going to have sex like this again, at least not until she met Emma again. She wasn't about to miss a single moment.

They came one after the other, Regina too hazy to tell which of them was first. All she knew was the nearly painful pleasure, followed by Emma collapsing on her. The Queen held on tight, trying and mostly failing to steady her breathing.

"Maybe it's a good thing I'm leaving," Emma said after a long period of silent recovery. "I'm pretty sure you'd be the death of me if I stayed."

"Mmm." Regina grinned wickedly. "They don't call me evil for nothing."

Emma rolled off of her with a groan, catching one of Regina's hands and pressing their palms together. "Don't let them convince you that you're evil," she said seriously. "It's not true. It's never been true."

Regina closed her eyes, not wanting to risk eye contact if it was going to end in her crying. "What's the future like?"

Emma paused for a moment. "You have much shorter hair," she said. "You have a son."

Regina couldn't help smiling at that. A child of her own. "What else?"

"Well, I'm there." She felt Emma hovering closer. "And I love you."

Emma kissed her, and Regina threaded her hands through the matted blonde hair and kept her close. There were so many questions, but she wouldn't ask them.

Mostly, why was Emma alone if she loved Regina so much?

"I will see you again," Emma whispered against her lips, and the Queen looked up to see tears in the other woman's eyes.

* * *

**Emma: Enchanted Forest**

Emma didn't feel sated. Not when she knew that their time together was nearly up. That she'd be back to sleeping alone every night, unless she gave in to Hook. Even if she did, Emma knew that it wouldn't be the same. She'd never enjoyed sex so much as she did with the Queen, and she doubted her ability to love anyone as fully as she did Regina.

This might be the last time she kissed someone she wanted, so she did. Over and over.

"I will see you again," Emma promised. She'd repeated those words so many times, but they didn't help. Not when she had an idea of the horrible things waiting in Regina's future. Not when she knew that she'd be returning to a woman who loved someone else.

Unless, of course, she'd altered the future drastically by spending a day with the Queen, but she didn't want to think about that. She just wanted to think of the woman in front of her, committing the feel of her lips and the map of her body to memory.

"I never thought I could love again," Regina said softly, tucking herself against Emma's shoulder to avoid looking at her. "But you've shown me that there's a chance."

Emma pressed a kiss to Regina's hair, cradling the brunette close. If only she could stay until chance became certainty, until Regina loved her. Instead, she was back to a Regina who tolerated her at best.

She waited, hoping Regina would say that there was more than a chance. But Emma knew all too well that love wasn't the sort of thing that happened overnight, at least not for people like them. That kind of thing worked for her parents, maybe, but she and Regina couldn't manage that easy trust. They needed time, and while Emma had had lots of it, this Regina still had to learn that it was safe to let go.

"You'll love again," she assured the Queen. "And if you need someone to love, come find me."

Regina didn't say she loved Emma. She didn't say anything. She silently helped Emma dress and dressed herself, and then they headed down to the dungeons, fingers linked but quiet.

Emma stayed silent, too, ignoring Hook's attempts to start conversation. She raised the wand and opened the portal with Regina's hand in hers, the Queen's power making the difficult spell seem effortless.

In the glow of the magic, Emma turned to Regina and finally spoke. "I _will_ see you again, I promise. And I will love you always."

Regina gave her a watery smile in response. "Thank you," she whispered, although Emma couldn't imagine what for. She offered up a kiss and Emma savored it until Hook whistled at them.

"Really?" Emma asked, although she was hardly surprised. "You have to be a moron right now?"

As for Regina, she went into full-on Queen mode, although the haughty look she gave the pirate didn't reach all the way to her eyes. "You're lucky that you have an escape route, Charles," she said. "Or you'd be dead within the hour."

"Just go," Emma added impatiently, and Hook gave the Queen an exaggerated bow before stepping into the portal.

"You should just go, too," Regina told her stiffly. "Before the portal closes."

"Please." At the sound of an unfamiliar voice, Emma remembered Marian and squinted to see her. "Can't you take me with you?" Regina raised an eyebrow before the prisoner continued. "They know my husband, Your Majesty. They know my son."

Regina was stony towards the woman until she mentioned her son. "Very well," she said, still keeping her voice aloof. "It will save me the expense of executing you."

"Regina," Emma said in warning, but the Queen had already opened the cell, and Marian disappeared into the portal. If only she could explain to Regina that she'd just sabotaged her own future. But the light of the portal was waning, and they both knew time was running out.

Regina kissed her quickly, forcing a brave smile. "Go," she said, nearly choking on the syllable.

Emma gave Regina's hand one last squeeze before letting go to avoid pulling the other woman into the portal with her. "I'll see you soon," she promised, taking a step backwards and feeling the relentless pull of the magic. Until everything was swallowed up by amber light, she watched the Queen's face and body slowly crumble, and hated herself for it.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke 2011**

Regina only had eyes for Henry as she raced down the walkway to embrace him. Her heart was still racing from the anxiety of losing him, and it continued when he told her that he'd found his _real_ mom and headed inside.

But it wasn't anxiety that had Regina breathless. She stood up again and looked at the interloper. "_You're_ Henry's birth mother?" she asked, staring at the woman in front of her.

She'd given up hope of ever seeing Emma again. It had been 30 years since Regina said goodbye to her. She'd been sad at first, then bitter, easily slipping back into the role of villain. She was angry, not just at Snow White but at the world. It was all too easy to cast the curse, to pull everyone down with her.

She'd hoped for the first few years of the curse, wishing that this realm might be Emma's. And then, at some point during the endlessly repeating days, she'd forgotten about the woman she'd lost.

Until now. Emma was standing just a foot or two away, and the red of her jacket brought back memories of the night they'd met. "Hi," the blonde said with a sheepish smile. Good. She should be sheepish. "I'm Emma. Emma Swan."

"Emma," Regina echoed, not knowing if she wanted to slap or hug her.

"What's your name?"

Regina blinked at Emma a few times, seeing the lack of recognition in those green eyes. "You don't know," she said softly.

Emma shrugged. "You know how kids are. They forget that grownups have names, too."

Regina forced a practiced smile, as if Henry's lapse in manners was the only problem. "Regina Mills."

This Emma wasn't _her_ Emma. She was immature, distant, combative. Deploying Graham was the only way Regina could keep Emma from leaving Storybrooke, but it didn't matter. When she found Emma and a chainsaw beneath her beloved tree, that's when Regina knew. The Emma who loved her was gone.

* * *

Before Regina could react, Graham surged forward and kissed her hard.

He was drunk. Otherwise he wouldn't have been stupid enough to try. Especially not when he knew she was already mad at him about whatever was going on between him and his deputy. Regina refused to lose Emma and Graham to each other. She'd rather kill them both.

In the end, she just killed one. She didn't hate herself for the murder, but she did hate herself for the quiet depression Emma fell into for the few weeks until the elections for sheriff made them adversaries once more.

Tonight, Graham was still very much alive, and Regina had to resort to giving him an old-fashioned shove rather than the fireball she wished she could conjure in this realm. "What the hell are you doing? I told you never to kiss me."

He swayed backward, rubbing at the back of his neck. "Why do you always have to be in charge? Why can't we do what _I_ want for once?"

"Because I'm the Que-" Regina caught herself just in time. "I'm the Mayor."

Graham lunged forward again, forcibly taking another kiss. "I just want to feel something, Regina."

"All you're going to feel is pain, Graham," Regina warned, even though she knew that she was no match for his strength. This was payback, she supposed, for all the things she'd done to him that he no longer remembered. "Get out," she ordered, her voice wavering.

She took in a surprised breath of relief as he did. She locked the door behind him and waited for a moment, listening to hear if Henry was stirring upstairs. Then she leaned heavily into the door and thought about the only two people she'd ever allowed to kiss her. One was dead, and the other was even worse. Emma hated her, and Regina was beginning to doubt that was ever going to change.

* * *

Everything had been a whirlwind since the curse broke. And while Regina had seen Emma kiss Henry awake, and had seen her again when the blonde broke through the mob to help her, it was a while before they had a chance to talk. The Charmings had decided to lock Regina up, allegedly for her own safety, and it was a while before they all dispersed, leaving Regina in her cell and Emma at her desk.

Regina had nothing better to do than watch Emma, and Emma looked exhausted. Rightly so, given that she'd battled a dragon and had her world turned upside down in the past few hours. Regina hated to add to the burden, but she had to know.

"Do you remember me?" she asked from where she sat on the uncomfortable cot.

Emma raised her eyes, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Regina slowly got up and made her way towards the bars. "We met before," she explained. "In the Enchanted Forest."

"Regina," Emma said, somewhere between stern and worried. "I'm not one of your fairytale characters. I'm just me."

Everyone else had their memories back, but Emma was still lost to Regina. As the blonde got up and headed towards the cell, though, Regina felt like she wasn't as lost as she had been. Her green eyes were surprisingly tender, and she covered Regina's hand with her own against the bars.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked.

Regina leaned her forehead against the bars and closed her eyes. "No, Emma." She hardly ever used the woman's first name, preferring to separate the Emma of her past with the Miss Swan of her present, but it slipped out easily, and Emma didn't let go of her hand.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Originally I wasn't going to include additional flashbacks, but I kind of liked them and you kind of liked them, so I continued. A few season 2 and 3 moments, and then Emma's return to Storybrooke.

* * *

**Regina: Storybrooke 2011**

Regina stared at her reflection, knowing that they were all there on the other side of the two-way mirror. She couldn't hear them in the interrogation room, but she could imagine what Snow and Charming would be saying about her. It was Emma, as always, who was the wild card.

Emma came back in, alone this time, and sat down across from Regina. "I know you didn't kill him," she said. "Well, I don't _know_, but I have a feeling."

"I'm so glad that the only things standing between my town and utter lawlessness are your feelings," Regina snapped, but she didn't want to snap. She wanted to thank Emma, but not when the other woman's parents were watching from the hall.

"Don't be a jerk," Emma warned, but she had the slightest smile on her lips. "I'm the only thing standing between you and a jail cell right now."

Regina wanted to retort as usual, but Emma had a point. "You're going to find the person who really did this, right?" She could already imagine how devastated Henry would be about Archie's death. There needed to be someone else, some way to clear her name, so that he wouldn't jump to the conclusion that his grandparents had.

"Even if I don't, you're not going down for this," Emma promised, her eyes going completely serious and such a deep green. "I know that everybody thinks of you as the Evil Queen and whatever, but in my office you're just Regina."

At that, Regina couldn't help murmuring a soft thank you. Emma's hands inched slightly closer to hers on the table, and all the memories she'd been burying for months rose again. She wanted that connection so badly, Emma's skin against hers. "You really don't think I'm evil?"

Emma's pinky grazed just slightly against hers as the sheriff moved to get up. "You're a bitch, Regina, but I've never thought you were evil."

Emma would change her mind, of course, by the time Regina saw her next. And as she accused Regina of being the same person she'd always been, the mayor just wanted to yell back that it wasn't true. The Emma who loved her had seen the good in her.

All the flickers of hope and kind moments since Emma broke the curse came crashing down around her, and Regina ran.

* * *

For the first time in weeks, Regina felt something like happy.

She'd lost her mother and practically lost her son. She'd been kidnapped and tortured and on the brink of destroying everything she'd created. And then she'd realized that the only way she could keep Henry from a life alone was to sacrifice herself.

But it was almost worth it for the way Emma looked at her when she realized. "You're not coming with us."

Regina shook her head and gave her a weak smile. "Everyone thinks of me as the Evil Queen. I want to die as Regina."

She raised her hands, focusing her magic on the pulsing diamond in front of her before she could change her mind. Emma surprised her by reaching out and touching her arm. She could barely feel the blonde's fingers through her coat, but she could feel the spark of magic between them.

"You've always been Regina," Emma told her. "To me, at least. Don't do this."

Regina glanced down at her hands. "It's too late for me. Just take care of Henry."

The look in Emma's eyes reminded Regina of the moment before the blonde had stepped into the portal. Only this time, there were no promises that they'd see each other again.

Emma was going to be the last person Regina ever saw, and it felt fitting.

But death didn't come, and thirty lonely years didn't pass. Emma came back. And while it was stupid and reckless and just so _Emma_ to do that, Regina could feel the tears rising. For once, she didn't try to stop them. Let them think she was crying about Henry, or about herself. She locked eyes with Emma as the blonde stepped up to help.

The blast of magic reminded Regina of their first kiss, only tenfold. She hit the wall hard, bruising her already-injured body, but she didn't care. She was still here. Emma was still here.

If only Henry was, too.

* * *

"Take a picture. It'll last longer."

Regina rolled her eyes. It was one of the rare moments when Emma's entourage was scattered elsewhere. Why Emma had ever told Regina's younger self that she was alone when she had parents and scruffy men flitting around her constantly, Regina couldn't understand.

Emma had certainly gotten that part wrong. Regina was the one who was utterly alone.

"So creative. Did you think of that one yourself?" Regina bit back. Although she had, perhaps, been looking at the blonde too much. She couldn't help appreciating the view of Emma's toned arms in that tank top, and she couldn't help remembering all the rest of Emma's body. "What would I do with a picture of you, anyway?"

Emma kicked out her legs in front of her, uncomfortable sitting on the pointy rock that was the closest thing this particular clearing had to a chair. Regina beat her to a slightly more promising log when they stopped to braid ropes. "Dartboard," Emma said after a pensive moment.

"Too bad I didn't pack my camera." Regina was now carefully not looking at Emma at all. She didn't notice that the blonde had moved until she sat down beside her on the log, arms brushing against each other.

"I look at you sometimes, too," Emma confessed softly, looking down at her boots. "When I'm keeping watch at night."

"That's not creepy at all," Regina replied sarcastically, glancing at the woman next to her to see that Emma looked almost hurt by her response. Before she could consider apologizing, Hook and Neal crashed back through the forest, and Regina resigned herself to being alone again. Although Emma never left her side.

* * *

How could she bear watching Emma leave again?

She stood back, having already received her goodbye from Henry, and watched as the only two people alive who cared at all about her headed towards Emma's car. The only two people she loved.

"Emma!" she called before she could stop herself, and the blonde turned to look at her through the tears. Regina hurried forward, catching Emma's hand in hers, keeping her tethered to this side of the line.

There was no time left, but Regina had to say something. Anything.

But the words didn't come out. How could she finally, after all this time, tell Emma she loved her only to wipe it from her memory a second later?

"I'll miss you," Emma told her, but Regina shook her head.

"No, you won't. But I will."

Emma snaked an arm around Regina's shoulders and pulled her into a half hug that only left Regina wanting so much more. "This isn't forever," she said unconvincingly.

Regina knew all too well that it was, that stopping Pan's curse would be permanent. Still, she leaned in to whisper the familiar words. "I will see you again."

* * *

**Emma**

Emma landed hard on the dirt floor of the barn, the wind momentarily knocked out of her. Hook was already on his feet, and when Emma lifted her head she saw the pirate looking back and forth between her and Marian. "Change of heart, Swan?"

"No." Emma got up with a groan. She was already sore from her hours in the Queen's bed, and the rough landing certainly hadn't helped. "Absolutely not."

Marian looked a bit bewildered, and Hook helped her up. "Where are we?"

Emma shook her head. The lack of sleep was certainly not helping, and even if she'd been at her best she did not want to deal with this situation. She just wanted to get back to town, see her family, see Regina. "Can you deal with this?" she asked Hook, gesturing in Marian's direction. "I have to warn Regina. We can't just spring this on her."

"_Warn_ Regina?" Hook asked with a smile and angled eyebrow that Emma found profoundly irritating. "Is that what you ladies call it?"

"Grow up," Emma said, rolling her eyes. "Just fill her in until I send someone to get you."

It was dark outside, and Emma wished she knew what time it was. Or what day it was. Or if she'd altered something in the space-time continuum and blown up Storybrooke or caused a zombie apocalypse or something.

Everything looked the same on the long walk into town, and according to the clock tower it was after 3. The streets were silent, but Emma expected as much – the town usually shut down around 9 each night, with stragglers disappearing into their houses well before midnight.

She paused at the base of her parents' building, seeing a dim light in one of the windows. She figured that they were up tending to the baby, and she briefly considered going in. She could get a few hours of sleep, maybe a shower, and find Regina first thing in the morning.

The pull was too strong, though, and Emma turned onto Mifflin Street and kept walking. Waking Regina at 3 AM to tell her bad news would probably earn her a fireball to the face, but what Emma dreaded more was waking Robin, too. She didn't want to think about them sleeping together.

It was, of course, all she could think about. Well, that and what it had been like to fall asleep beside Regina for those few lucky nights.


	12. Chapter 12

**Regina**

Regina woke crying. She'd been enjoying more wonderful memories in her dreams, but then Emma stepped through that portal and everything fell apart. There was a rush of sadness as memories of the past 30 years flooded in – most things were the same, but there were moments tinged with more pain now. Every interaction with Emma felt new.

She'd been thinking through the memories for a while before it hit her. Emma had gone through the portal.

Emma was back.

Regina scrambled out of bed, grabbing at the nearest items of clothing even though she was sure she looked unpolished. She finger-combed her hair as she raced down the stairs, prepared to rush out to the farm and meet Emma there. She grabbed her car keys, not letting herself look in the mirror at her disheveled appearance, and opened the front door to find Emma on the porch.

The blonde ducked her head, but Regina could still make out her blushing. "Hey."

Ever eloquent. "Hey?" Regina asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "_Hey_ is all you have to say to me?"

Emma glanced up again, and Regina was sure she'd never seen her so shy. "Do you hate me?"

"No," Regina told her, quickly adding, "I think you're an idiot. You can't just run around changing the past, Emma. You could have gotten yourself killed. You could have made it so you were never born, or so Henry…" Regina went silent when Emma stepped forward and threw her arms around her.

"I missed you," Emma whispered, and even though Regina was pretty sure she wasn't done scolding, she embraced the blonde woman back.

"You were with me."

"Not the you who calls me an idiot." Emma somehow managed to pull her even closer, and Regina was pretty sure she could stand there in that hug for the rest of her life. And then Emma was stepping back. "I'm sorry, is Robin…"

Regina glanced back into the house. "No. I broke up with him." Then the second set of memories sank in, the new ones from the new path Emma had put her own. "Or I was never with him to begin with. Take your pick."

Emma was clearly trying hard to sort through her own dual memories. "Right. I'm sorry it didn't work out," she said genuinely, trying to fight back a smile nonetheless.

Regina reached out and lightly, tentatively touched her fingers to the side of Emma's face. "I'm not." She would miss Roland, but she focused instead on what she'd gotten back.

"That prisoner you sent here with us is his wife, so it's probably for the best that you're not still with him, because that would be awkward," Emma explained in a rush, but Regina couldn't find it in herself to care.

"Stop talking," she murmured, trying to figure out what to do next. Insist that they talk about what happened? Kiss Emma? Lead her upstairs? Tell her about the terrifying rush of emotions she felt now that Emma was back?

"Mom?" Regina wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed that Henry hurried down the stairs just then. His voice was filled with worry, but by the time he reached them he was grinning. "Mom!" he cried out, this time excited, this time aimed at Emma.

Regina stepped aside to let Henry and Emma embrace.

* * *

**Emma**

Emma hadn't allowed herself to miss Henry. She hadn't allowed herself to think of him at all. It would have been too painful to dwell on the fact that she might never see him again. But here he was, and as he crashed into her arms she realized just how much she'd missed him.

As glad as she was to see him, though, she couldn't focus on anything but Regina. Her hair was slightly tousled from sleep, and Emma wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed with her. There was an unfamiliar sparkle in her dark eyes and a faint blush across her cheeks. She looked happy, Emma realized. Quietly, tentatively happy.

She'd never wanted to kiss anyone so much in her life.

Henry's presence, unfortunately, made that impossible. And then, despite his mothers' protests, he called Emma's parents, and any hope the blonde had of staying here with Regina vanished.

Emma managed to coax Henry back to bed while they waited for her father to arrive. They were alone for a pleasantly awkward minute, neither woman knowing what to say. But they stood close, hands brushing against each other until Emma hooked a few fingers around Regina's.

"Can I see you tomorrow?" Emma asked as she heard David's truck pull up outside.

"If your parents will let you out of their sight," Regina teased.

Emma smiled, trying to hide her nerves. What if tomorrow she couldn't work up the courage to have the conversation they needed to have? What if Regina wasn't so gentle with her in the light of day?

But the way Regina was looking at her tonight, new and yet familiar, gave Emma a bit of hope. She gave Regina's fingers a squeeze, watching the way the other woman looked down at their joined hands and smiled.

"Goodnight, Regina," she said as she reluctantly let go and opened the door.

Regina followed to close it behind her. "I'm glad you're back."

By the time David finished bear-hugging Emma, Regina was gone. And as they drove away, Emma watched the windows of Regina's bedroom go dark.

Emma convinced her father to fetch Hook and Marian, and as he drove off she made her way up to the loft alone. Snow and the baby were thankfully asleep, so Emma was able to slip into bed without further conversations.

Once she got there, though, she felt wide-awake as ever. She yearned for a warm body next to hers, skin against skin. If Henry could have just stayed asleep, maybe she could have had that tonight. She was sure that Regina would have let her spend the night, although there was no telling if that would have involved sleeping _with_ Regina. A girl could dream.

She was awake for her father's return home, and when the baby woke crying a few hours later. She heard every word of the loudly whispered conversation between her parents about whether or not they should wake her. Finally, she grabbed for the phone that someone had returned to her bedside table, turned it on, and typed out a message. _I can't sleep._

Emma had just about given up on getting an answer when her phone vibrated and Regina's message lit up the screen. _If I recall correctly, you should be exhausted. You had an active few hours before you went into that portal._

The blonde went bright red. So Regina not only remembered what they'd done in the past, but remembered it in detail. And was willing to tease Emma about it. _Promise you don't hate me for all that?_

_I don't hate you, but we aren't having this conversation by text. See you later._

Emma smiled at the promise, however terrifying, of later. When her parents came upstairs to wake her a few hours later, Emma was fast asleep with her phone cupped against her chest.

* * *

**Regina**

It was ridiculous, how often these people felt the need to throw parties, but of course there was one to celebrate Emma's return. As Regina walked into Granny's this time, however, she found that she actually wanted to be there.

She kept to herself, settling at a quiet table in the corner and watching everyone else. A few people in particular. There was Henry, beaming when he was allowed to hold baby Neal for the first time. An impossibly happy Roland with his arms clasped around his mother's neck. But mostly she looked at Emma, and Emma kept looking at her.

"Did you tell her yet?" Regina turned back to her table at the sound of Tinkerbell's distinctive accent, finding the fairy seated across from her. "You didn't, did you? You're just going to sit here and stare at her all night."

"Tink," Regina said in a warning tone. Not here, in front of everyone.

"We've had this exact conversation before, Regina. It cost you a chance at true love back then."

Regina followed Tink's gaze to Robin and his family. "I think that turned out for the best."

"Maybe." Tink turned back towards Regina. "But being scared isn't a good enough excuse this time. You _know_ she loves you."

"I'm not scared," Regina snapped, but she was. She didn't know what could possibly go wrong, given that she already knew where Emma stood, but that didn't stop her from being absolutely terrified.

"I can create a diversion so you can get her alone," Tink offered, just as Emma met Regina's eyes across the room and started towards her, brushing aside all of the well-wishers who stood between them.

"No need." Regina didn't want to look at Tink, not if it meant breaking eye contact with Emma. She stood up as the other woman neared the table.

"Can we, you know…" Emma bit her lip, looking significantly more scared than Regina did. "Have that conversation?"

Regina looked past Emma just long enough to see all the people watching them – Snow, Charming, and Hook looking concerned, Tink looking absolutely thrilled. "I don't think this is the best time."

Emma put her hand on Regina's arm, and Regina could feel the slight trembling of her fingers. "I can't wait any longer."

God, Regina knew that feeling. "I've been waiting thirty years," she replied, but it was soft, not a competition but an understanding. She pressed her hand over Emma's briefly before heading for the door, breaking the physical contact between them but acutely aware that the blonde was only a step behind her.

They touched again as soon as they were out of sight of the diner, the streets fairly deserted given the number of people at the party. Their hands found each other quickly as they walked with no destination in mind.

"I probably shouldn't have done what I did," Emma said once they'd been walking for a while, the well-lit stretch of Main Street behind them. "I didn't think I'd ever get back here, Regina. And I didn't think that you, _this_ you, would ever be interested in me."

"I wasn't," Regina admitted, although she wasn't sure that was true. Her memories were becoming mixed up, and she wasn't sure if it mattered that she'd been pining for Emma the second time if she hadn't loved her the first.

"But you don't hate me."

"I never hated you." Regina came to a stop, taking Emma's other hand and pulling the blonde to face her. "I'd never really thought of you romantically, but you were so good to me. Not just in the Enchanted Forest but here, every day." She took a deep breath, steadying herself for what was to come. "It took the new memories for me to see what had been right there in front of me all along, but that doesn't mean…"

They stood there in silence, Emma still looking worried, Regina still grasping for words. There would be plenty of time to explain, she reminded herself. Right now, she just had to say the words they both needed to hear.

"Emma, I…" She closed her eyes for a moment, Emma's green gaze too intense, but she had to look at her when she said this. "I love you."

Emma just stared at her for a moment, and then there was a huge smile across her face and a glistening of tears in her eyes. "Regina," she whispered, gripping the other woman's hands tighter. "Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask me that," Regina promised her before she leaned in for the kiss.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** There's probably only going to be one more chapter after this. Thanks again for all the reviews, faves, and follows.

* * *

**Emma**

Sure, Emma had kissed Regina before, but nothing compared to this. Even without the extra spark of rekindled magic, everything about it felt so much _more_.

Regina kissed differently here. She'd been almost timid in the past, but she took the lead this time, pressing not just her lips but her entire body against Emma as if she needed this as much as the blonde did. Maybe even more. Regina had let go of her hands, and Emma could feel one palm pressed against the small of her back and the other hand somewhere in her hair. She reached out for Regina herself, brushing fingers over the much shorter hair before weaving her arms around the other woman's neck.

Regina's scent was different, but Emma had anticipated that. She'd secretly admired Regina's perfume for a while now, but up close it was absolutely heavenly. And when her tongue brushed past Regina's and took a sweep through her mouth, Emma discovered that she tasted different, too, in ways she couldn't quite pinpoint.

But none of that mattered as much as what Regina had said just before the kiss started.

"I love you so much," Emma whispered, breaking the kiss.

Emma could hardly see Regina, they were so close, but she caught a glimpse of a tear trailing down her face. "I've been waiting so long," she said, those wonderful lips of hers almost smiling before Emma claimed them again.

Emma thought briefly and vaguely through some of her altered memories, wondering just how hard this new life had been on Regina. Emma had been struggling with her own unrequited love, but only for about a year, two if she included the oblivious year in New York. "You don't have to wait anymore," she promised. "_We_ don't have to wait anymore."

She drew back a few steps, bringing her hands to Regina's hips and just looking at her. Sure, she'd seen the younger, flashier version of the Queen, but the woman in front of her now was the one she'd been dreaming of. And while Emma had been staring at her all night, noting the perfect hair, the light makeup, the fitted gray dress, the insane stilettos, now she could _really_ look. Now she knew that all of this could be hers.

Regina flushed just a little under Emma's gaze. "I should get you back before they send out a search party."

Emma reeled Regina in again. "But I said you don't have to wait," she murmured close to Regina's ear. "I intend to keep that promise."

"You will." Regina caught Emma by the chin and turned her so she could steal a chaste kiss. "I want to do this right. Not some quick rushed thing."

They were only a block away from Town Hall, and Emma was itching to drag Regina there, but she understood. And the idea of having Regina slowly and thoroughly was just as tempting as having her now. "Tonight?"

Emma could feel Regina's grin. "Tell your parents that you can't sleep with the baby in the apartment and that I offered you the guest room," she suggested.

"I couldn't sleep without you last night," Emma admitted.

"I barely slept for a week after you left me in the Enchanted Forest."

"I'm sorry."

"If you'd stayed, you wouldn't be here now," Regina pointed out, lips seeking Emma's again. They shared a series of ever-deepening kisses before either of them could even think about turning back towards the diner.

This time, they held hands until they'd almost reached the diner door. Emma kept sneaking glances, and she was sure that she'd never seen Regina smile this much or this long.

Could she really make someone _that_ happy?

She smiled back as she opened the door, and while they'd let go of each other, Emma knew that they probably weren't fooling anyone. There was no hiding their joy, although Regina made a decent effort as she slipped into the crowd.

* * *

**Regina**

"It was Emma, wasn't it?"

Regina turned at the sound of Snow's quiet but insistent voice. The other woman had followed Regina back towards her table from earlier, which Tinkerbell had mercifully vacated. There was no way she wanted to have this conversation with both of them at once.

"When you asked me about love," Snow clarified, stepping closer to keep their conversation private.

Regina was fairly sure that every muscle in her body tensed at that moment. No. She'd only just gotten Emma back, and she was not going to let Snow White ruin her life again. "Stay out of this," she said in a low voice.

"I'm not…." Snow smiled a bit nervously as she picked out her response. "I have no interest in coming between you, Regina."

Regina arched an eyebrow. "No?"

"No. I want my daughter to be happy. I want Emma to find a love as strong as mine." Snow reached out to touch Regina's arm, and Regina was surprised that she let her. She still didn't trust that Snow wasn't going to crush her dreams yet another time. "This isn't ideal," Snow continued, "but I've never met anyone who loves as much and as hard as you do, Regina."

Regina bit her lip, glancing over to where Emma was engaged in conversation with her father and son. The blonde caught her looking and smiled, and it gave Regina the strength to turn back to Snow. "I love her with all my heart."

"I'm sure her father won't be pleased. I'm sure a lot of people won't be pleased. But as for me…" Snow shrugged. "At least you're not Hook."

Regina laughed at that, louder and happier than most of the people in Storybrooke had ever heard from their mayor. She could feel their eyes on her, but she focused on Emma, who looked delighted by the sound. Regina whispered thanks to Snow, still amazed that the woman had just about given them her blessing, as Emma crossed the room to find her.

"I want to hear more of that," Emma told her, easily and thoughtlessly slipping an arm around Regina's waist. "Can we please ditch this party now?"

People were still staring, but Regina just placed her hand over Emma's, reinforcing the connection between them. Let them look, she thought as she remembered another night like this – a party, the staring, not caring about anything beyond Emma. The night they'd met, how beautiful Emma looked in her gown, how she intrigued and intoxicated Regina as they danced together. And while Regina didn't have guards to make sure nothing got out of hand, Emma was all the safety she needed.

"I've got Henry," Snow offered. "I'm sure the two of you have a lot to talk about."

Regina laughed again. Was Snow seriously _enabling_ their alone time? Was this some sort of joke?

Emma just gaped at her mother. "Um, okay. Thanks." Before anyone could get in the way, the blonde steered Regina towards the door, letting out a laugh once it closed behind them. "Did my mom seriously just give us permission to go have sex?"

"She gave us permission to _talk_," Regina said, unable to stop smiling. "She's always been terribly naïve."

Emma stepped forward and kissed Regina right there, under the lights in the outdoor seating area. Regina knew that at least Tink was watching from the window. "Can you poof us back to your place?"

"You have your magic back," Regina teased. "Why can't you _poof_ us?"

"Do you want to get there intact or not?"

Regina drew back and looked Emma up and down. "I suppose I'd like to keep all your parts." And then she stepped forward, kissing the blonde as they vanished in a plume of smoke.

* * *

**Emma**

Emma had never been in Regina's Storybrooke bedroom before. She'd never even been upstairs. But Regina took her there easily and automatically, letting Emma into her private space as if she belonged there.

Gratitude could be saved for later, though. Right now, Emma had Regina alone, and all she wanted to do was make up for all of those lost years. She turned the brunette around and slowly dragged her zipper down, trailing her free hand over the exposed skin. "You didn't actually want to talk, right?"

Regina glanced over her shoulder. "I said what I needed to say," she replied quietly, and the reminder of their shared I-love-yous filled Emma with warmth. That, and the way Regina looked once her dress was on the floor.

All of the details of Regina's body that Emma had tried to memorize were there, and now she didn't need her memory because she could look any time she wanted. She could touch any time she wanted. She slipped Regina's bra strap down just far enough that she could kiss the beauty mark on her breast. "Do you have any idea how perfect you are?"

"Let me see you," Regina demanded, and Emma immediately pulled her shirt up over her head. Then Regina was undoing her jeans.

"I have to warn you," Emma said, "I'm still kind of sore from before I came back. So tonight can be all about you." Surprisingly, she hardly even minded. Sure, it would be agony not to have her own release, but she wanted to worship Regina, to love every inch of her, to make up for all the years she'd been waiting.

"You know how I keep saying what a waste of potential you are?" Before Emma could even think about answering, Regina had a hand inside Emma's underwear, palm pressed against her abdomen. "Magic can solve so many problems."

Emma felt warmth from Regina's hand, the healing spell taking away all of the aches. And she was thankful for that, since the placement of Regina's hand and the feel of her magic had Emma even needier than before.

Regina either read her mind or read her body, immediately slipping her hand lower. Despite the constricting jeans, the brunette managed to get her fingers where Emma so desperately needed them. She curled them upwards, the angle making it difficult for her to penetrate Emma with more than her fingertips.

"I guess I'll live up to my potential," Emma said breathily as she used her magic to remove their remaining clothing. Finally able to angle her hand the right way, Regina thrust fully into Emma.

"Good girl," Regina whispered. "I guess you just need the right motivation."

They tumbled down onto the bed, Emma over Regina, Regina going harder and deeper with each move. Emma dropped her head onto Regina's shoulder, arms shaking with the effort of supporting her weight.

"I love you," Regina whispered.

Emma lifted her head to see the brunette. Those words, a reminder of where she was and who she was with, warmed her, and they kissed hard as she came for the Regina she loved more than anything.

* * *

**Regina**

"I forgot how good you feel," Regina said as Emma collapsed onto her, skin against skin. She dragged a wet hand up Emma's back, keeping the blonde impossibly close for as long as she could.

It wasn't long. Soon Emma was trailing her way down Regina's body, lips in a steady line down her middle, hands everywhere. Regina arched into her, covering Emma's hands with her own. She hadn't forgotten how good this was. Forgetting wasn't possible. But memories couldn't begin to compare to the real thing.

Emma turned her hands over and laced her fingers with Regina's, giving her a smile that conveyed more love than Regina had ever dreamed she'd received. "I love you too," she promised. "And I'll never leave you again."

Before Regina could think about responding, Emma's mouth was on her and her mind went blissfully blank. She clung to Emma's hands almost painfully. Her head hit the bed between her for only a moment before Emma drew back.

"Look at me," she urged, and Regina lazily lifted her head up again. "I want to see you. I want to see that it's _you_."

Regina indulged her, only speaking up when Emma didn't immediately dive back in. "Thirty years, Emma," she reminded her. "Don't waste any more time."

"I wonder exactly how many orgasms you missed out on during thirty years," Emma said with a taunting smile.

"Emma."

"I wonder if I could make you come thirty times tonight."

"_Emma_." The blonde's words were barely even registering, Regina's want the only thing she could concentrate on. And then Emma applied her skilled tongue again, not complaining when Regina forgot to look at her. The brunette tugged on Emma's hands, urging her farther, deeper, harder.

Regina easily lost count, but she was sure that they didn't make it to thirty. By the end of the night, she didn't even care. All that mattered was Emma pressed tightly against her as Regina fell asleep, promises of love echoing into Regina's dreams.


	14. Chapter 14: Epilogue

**A/N:** Well, this is super cheesy. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Thanks, everyone! This was originally going to be a 2-3 chapter story, and I'm so glad you encouraged me to keep writing. I've already started work on something new, so keep an eye out!

* * *

**Regina**

"Remind me again why we have to go to this thing?" Emma was sprawled on her back on the bed, watching Regina fuss with her makeup.

"The ball is a major town fundraiser," Regina explained, watching Emma in the mirror. "The mayor can't exactly miss it."

"See, that sounds like a reason why _you_ have to go. Why do _I_ have to go?"

Regina got up and made her way to the bed, sitting beside Emma and giving her a fond smile. "Because you love me?"

Emma sat up, wrapping her arms around Regina's waist and nuzzling against her shoulder. "I love you best right here," she said. "And our bedroom has the added bonus of not requiring gowns."

Regina turned and kissed Emma before pulling away and returning to her vanity. _Our_ bedroom, she thought with a smile. After she took Emma home from the diner that night, the blonde had never left, and Regina enjoyed the gradual shift from _your_ to _our_. It had been several months now, just her, Emma, and Henry, and Regina didn't think that she'd ever seen any of them so happy.

She applied her lipstick carefully, a deep wine red to match the dress hidden in the back of her closet (the closet was one of the few places in the house that was still 100 percent Regina's). She glanced over her shoulder at Emma. "I look really hot in my dress," she offered as a final incentive.

"You look really hot in _all_ your dresses," Emma replied petulantly, and Regina laughed.

"Are you complaining?"

"No." Emma got up with a groan, and soon her reflection appeared just behind Regina's. "I can see your dress after."

"Maybe I'll take Robin as my date, then," Regina teased, aiming to spark Emma's old jealousy. "Let him dance with me in my really hot dress."

"He's going with his wife. That's why Henry's babysitting, remember?"

"Hook, then."

Emma faked a gasp. "You wouldn't dare."

Regina lifted an eyebrow, smirking at Emma in the mirror. "Wouldn't I?"

That brought the possessive look into Emma's eyes, and she grabbed Regina tightly around the waist. "If he ever even tries to touch you I'll chop off his other hand."

"Come with me," Regina asked one last time, and she could tell that, protests aside, Emma would cave.

* * *

**Emma**

She had to give Regina credit – the high school gym had never looked so good. She'd magically transformed the interior to look like a real Enchanted Forest ballroom. And the people looked authentic, too, having spent months and fortunes on their custom gowns and suits. Emma was sure that she looked a bit out of place in the short black dress that she'd crushed Snow by deciding on, but Emma was pretty sure that one ballgown was enough for a lifetime.

Emma scanned the room for Regina. Since the mayor had been charged with the magical part of the setup, Regina had arrived hours earlier.

It only took one loop around the room to find the only other woman who wasn't wearing a traditional gown. Emma wasn't sure why she'd expected to see Regina in the usual corset and enormous skirt, seeing as Regina's Enchanted Forest fashion had been much more avant-garde and her Storybrooke fashion was sleek and tailored. Either way, she always managed to look much sexier than the norm.

Tonight was certainly not an exception. Regina was in deep red, a long dress that clung close to her body. And it was backless, which Emma enjoyed as she approached her from behind. Modest in the front, she'd discover as soon as Regina turned around, but devastatingly sexy from all angles.

Regina was talking to one of the town council members, but Emma didn't hesitate to cut in. "I hope you don't mind if I steal her," she said, not waiting for an answer before she put a hand against Regina's bare back and steered her towards the dance floor. "You look fucking amazing," she whispered.

"I told you it was worth showing up for." Regina guided Emma into the proper position and then into the easy waltz that the dancers were in the midst of.

The dances got more intricate as they continued, and Emma could have sworn she remembered one with a particularly confusing series of turns. "We did this that night," she said once the steps brought her back into Regina's arms. "The night you met me."

"You're still horrendous at it," Regina teased. This time, when all of the other dancers spun away from their partners, Regina kept Emma close. Certainly closer than would be proper at a real ball, but Emma was sure that a high school gym must have seen much worse.

"Yet you put up with me."

"I love you," Regina said. "And I love dancing with you."

"We should dance more," Emma suggested, wondering if Regina could tell how her heart was racing. "Just not at balls."

"If you think you're dragging me to The Rabbit Hole, you're sorely mistaken," the brunette teased.

"Something in between," Emma said, surprising Regina when she stopped swaying with her altogether. "Like a wedding?"

"Who…" Emma grinned as realization dawned on Regina's face. "Oh."

Emma turned one of Regina's hands palm up and closed her eyes, focusing her magic. When she opened them again, the ring that she'd been hiding in her car for a week was there in Regina's hand. And although she'd thought of a million different things she could say at this moment, nothing came out.

Regina was speechless, too. They just looked at each other, and Emma could read the answer in Regina's eyes. The love that was always there, but more somehow.

She didn't say yes. She simply closed her hand around the ring and kissed Emma breathless.


End file.
